BREAKS FROM REALITY The magic only dreams are made of become the reality for viewers as they engage in the poetic imagery of Mariëtte Aernoudts. BREAKS FROM REALITY May 20, 2022 INTERVIEW PHOTOGRAPHY Mariëtte Aernoudts INTERVIEW Karen Ghostlaw Pomarico Facebook X (Twitter) WhatsApp LinkedIn Pinterest Copy link SHARE Mariëtte Aernoudts is an artist living and creating art in a small village in Raamsdonksveer, about an hour drive south of Amsterdam. Mariëtte is an autodidact photographer and image maker creating images visually depicting her own poetic world of fairytales. The magic only dreams are made of, become the reality the viewers are immersed in, when they engage the visual stories Mariëtte creates through her photography and poetic imagery. Mariëtte would always photograph her own children, and this led to her interests in photoshop. She enjoyed making photographic montages, expanding her abilities to create these fantastical worlds where her fairytales would soon play out. Mariëtte began engaging children in her neighborhoods and in the streets to practice and experiment with this new idea of portraiture as a montage. She started working conceptually, creating a narrative for each image, often alienating her subjects creating solitary environments. Mariëtte tells us, “I am always looking for new and innovative ways to add reflections of my own feelings and emotions to my photos and aim to take the viewer just a little step beyond the ordinary.” This inner reflection adds depth and soul to her poetic fairytales. Mariëtte was given some good advice once that has become an important thread in her work and has become part of the way Mariëtte approaches and creates her work. They told Mariëtte to only make series that are close to her, hold meaning for her. In her series of work titled OBSTACLES is a photographic autobiography that tells the visual story of living with anxiety through a series of images. Mariëtte wanted to express the consequences of anxiety in many ways. “Shall I, or Shall I Not, also known as Obstacles, was made to break through the taboo around living with anxiety. Millions of people have to deal with this, it is always hidden and in my opinion not accepted and is viewed as a sign of weakness.” Mariëtte depicts her subjects in conflict with the struggles they face, but also in the light, not darkness, exposing the realities not hiding them. Mariëtte's trilogy of poetic images in her tryptic THE JOURNEY, conveys the whimsical story about a young girl being very curious in life. The young girl starts in the morning and her return is in the evening. “What did she experience?!? That’s totally up to the viewer to interpret,” says Mariëtte. Mariëtte brings us along for the journey allowing us to participate in the adventure. One of Mariëtte’s favorite things in photography to explore is caching motion. The freedom of the movement elicits feelings of spirit of adventure and childlike joy in the playful acts of having fun. Mariëtte loves working with colors to express the fun depicted through these playful images saturated with a palette of hues expressive of the emotions and spirited wiles of youth. Mariëtte has been a member of an ambitious, small photography club for the past seven years. The goal of the club is to help each other achieve a higher level of knowledge to accomplish their photographic goals. Mariëtte is challenging herself with social themes in a variety of series. She is not trying to tell her story with documentary images, but instead she creates her fairytales through symbolism and visual poetry. Mariëtte says this new work is very relaxing and has found it to be a good way to get more connectivity to nature. I had the absolute pleasure to interview Mariëtte and this is what she shared with us at The Pictorial List to inspire you all with. “I always want to express emotions in my photography or at least try to make people curious about the story in the photo. Often the viewer can make their own story by ‘reading’ the scene.” IN CONVERSATION WITH MARIËTTE AERNOUDTS THE PICTORIAL LIST: Mariëtte please tell us about yourself. How does where you are from influence your work and when did your journey into photography begin? MARIËTTE AERNOUDTS: I was born in a little village in the south of the Netherlands. We had enough possibilities to play outside and used our imagination with the available situation without toys. In our village we had no cultural life, no cinema, no museum and at home we never discussed the subjects. Photography was not in my life at all. But I loved books, and had many adventures in the stories. Nowadays I live in a village in the middle of the country and spend my days mainly with photography in different ways: reading about it, experimenting, watching photos on the internet and I post sometimes, and also I work on commission. My journey began by using my husband's analog camera. Mainly photographed our children, on birthdays, during holidays and special occasions. I wanted to make memories for the future as I don’t have any photo of myself as a child. TPL: What was the first camera you ever held in your hand, brought to eye, and released a shutter on? What is the camera you use now? Does the equipment you use help you in achieving your vision in your photography? MA: The first camera I held was an analog Yashica, don’t recall the type. I shot with an auto. Nowadays I have a Canon 5D Mark III and a Fuji TX3 which I always take along. I always shoot with my own camera settings and photography is always a challenge now to make the desired result as I see/feel things. TPL: You create these worlds of fantasy and illusion, with poetic notes of authenticity. You often work with children as your subject. Tell us why you choose your subjects, and how they personally have influenced your work. MA: I think I use the subjects because they bring me into a nicer world, softer and it is a little escape from reality. Children are so open and behave so naturally, I love their sincere expressions. 'Obstacles 1 - Pulling Your Life Together' © Mariëtte Aernoudts 'Obstacles 2 - Shall I' © Mariëtte Aernoudts 'The Journey I' © Mariëtte Aernoudts 'The Journey II' © Mariëtte Aernoudts 'The Journey III' © Mariëtte Aernoudts 'Colours - Red' © Mariëtte Aernoudts 'Colours - Yellow' © Mariëtte Aernoudts 'Colours - Orange' © Mariëtte Aernoudts 'Colours - Green' © Mariëtte Aernoudts 'Colours - Blue' © Mariëtte Aernoudts 'Cloudy Days' © Mariëtte Aernoudts TPL: Nature and the environment play important roles in your work, often seeing humanity mimic nature, or your environments mimic humanity, there is a strong connection. Tell us about these connections, and how they set the stage for your portraits. MA: Most of the time my models are selected based on their expressive faces and attitude. They are children or adults who make me feel their mood. For the portraits they don’t need a scene or setting because their expression moves me so much that this tells the whole story. TPL: In your series ‘Obstacles’ you address the challenges one faces when they are challenged with Anxiety Disorder, tell us the passion that drives this study. MA: In fact I myself have been managing my anxiety disorder since I was ten. It made my life a daily struggle and not many people knew about it. I lived to survive each day as good and ‘normal’ as possible but my anxiety became a hindrance in many ways. It was lonely because I thought I was the only one but through the years, talking about it, I met more and more people with the same problem. This is an underestimated problem and hard to understand. Therefore I wanted to break the taboo and shame by ‘showing’ it with my photos to achieve more understanding. I am always looking for new and innovative ways to add reflections of my own feelings and emotions to my photos and aim to take the viewer just a little step beyond the ordinary. TPL: Do you feel your work has therapeutic or healing qualities? Do you try to portray hope and possibilities through your studies and work? MA: I hope so! For me my work is a way to relax, have fun making it and sometimes it makes me very happy. It would be awesome when viewers feel the same. I always want to express emotions in my photography or at least try to make people curious about the story in the photo. Often the viewer can make an own story by ‘reading’ the scene. TPL: You directly engage your subjects whether in eye contact or through body language, it is honest, and genuine. Tell us the importance of this. MA: It is very important to read body language because this tells emotions of a person and all my models are always authentic and natural. I always work with them one on one, with the presence of one parent. Try to make contact as close to themselves and my emotions as possible. Before we start we have a long chat to get acquainted. Eyes are the soul of every person. TPL: In your series of single images, light plays an inherent role in the way you illuminate and define your subject. Talk about your quality of light and what it represents in these works of art. How long has Portraiture been a subject you have studied through photography? MA: My most used light is available light. Just a slight change of position of the head or body can make such a big difference. What I love to use is backlight to make materials like clothing or textures a bit transparent. It makes me wonder everytime when I reach this result. Light is a fantastic tool to work and play with. Sometimes the light enters a room or in plants in a way I really love and then want to catch it immediately before it will change. Actually, since I had my children, about 36 years. It all started then. The last 13 years I have spent more and more time on it. Then I started courses and workshops. The things I want to learn I look up on the internet and experiment just as long as I know how to do them. Once it took me a year to learn an act in Photoshop! 'Stairway to Heaven' © Mariëtte Aernoudts 'Worried' © Mariëtte Aernoudts 'Escaping' © Mariëtte Aernoudts 'Little Mona Lisa' © Mariëtte Aernoudts 'Autumn Thoughts' © Mariëtte Aernoudts TPL: Do you have any favorite artists or photographers you would like to share with us, and the reason for their significance? MA: I love the light Rembrandt used in his paintings and the colors of the Italian painter Rafaël. The photo portraits of Stephan Vanfleteren impress me very much, the way he captures the emotion of people is stunning. Sally Mann inspires me by her uninhibited child photography. My favorite Dutch photographers are Danielle van Zadelhoff, Carla Kogelman and Anton Corbijn. TPL: Are there any other photographic projects you are working on, or have planned in the near future? Where do you hope to see yourself in five years? MA: At the moment I am working on a project with mother and child. The way to imagine the story differs sometimes but work is in progress. In five years I hope to be healthy enough to keep on doing what I am doing now. TPL: “When I am not out photographing, I (like to)… MA: To take walks (not too far) together with my husband, have fun with my grandchildren and start to attend more art classes.” Mariëtte’s photography speaks to the fantastical worlds she has created or captured in the eyes of her subjects, and often times portrayed in the body language of their gestures. Mariëtte creates her spaces with details that add intrigue to her subjects, capturing your curiosity, captivating you to, smile with them, dance and sing with them, laugh and play with them, think with them, and maybe even cry with them. When Mariëtte chooses deep dark spaces to place her subjects in, the eyes become the intrigue, asking you to look deeper, to sink into their soul. VIEW MARIËTTE'S PORTFOLIO Website >>> Instagram >>> read more interviews >>> GUIDED BY A WHISPER Guided by reflection and the quiet presence of art history, Isolda Fabregat Sanz makes photographs that resist certainty and invite the viewer to remain inside the act of looking. WHAT REMAINS, WHAT EMERGES Laetitia Heisler transforms risk, memory, and the body into layered analogue visions — feminist rituals of seeing that reveal what endures, and what quietly emerges beyond visibility. WHAT WE ARE, WHAT WE DO Culture lives where art and community meet, and in this space Alejandro Dávila’s photographs reveal the unseen labor and devotion that sustain creation. ANALOGICAL LIMBO Nicola Cappellari reminds us that the photograph’s power lies not in what it shows, but in what it leaves unsaid. THREADS OF MOROCCAN LIFE Through gestures of work and moments of community, Kat Puchowska reveals Morocco’s overlooked beauty. IT STARTED AS LIGHT…ENDED IN SHIVERS… Between intimacy and estrangement, Anton Bou’s photographs wander — restless fragments of light and shadow, mapping the fragile terrain where self unravels into sensation. WITH EYES THAT LISTEN AND A HEART THAT SEES For decades, Rivka Shifman Katvan has documented the unseen backstage world of Broadway, capturing authenticity where performance and humanity intersect. DIPTYCH DIALOGUES Through the beautiful language of diptychs, Taiwanese photographer Jay Hsu invites us into a world where quiet images speak of memory, resilience, and hope. UNKNOWN ABYSSINIA In Ethiopia, Sebastian Piatek found a new way of seeing — where architecture endures, but women in motion carry the narrative forward. THE PULSE OF THE STREET Moments vanish, yet Suvam Saha holds them still — the pulse of India’s streets captured in fragments of life that will never repeat. WHAT DO WE WANT? More than documentation, David Gray reveals the human pulse of resistance and asks us to see beyond the surface of unrest. CRACKED RIBS 2016 Cynthia Karalla opens up about the art of survival, the power of perspective, and why she believes each of us holds a monopoly on our own narrative. STREETS OF KOLKATA Ayanava Sil’s reveals Kolkata’s soul, capturing moments with empathy, presence and humility while offering deep insight into both city and self. PERIPHERAL PLACES A project by Catia Montagna that distills fleeting encounters and spatial poetics into triptychs - visual short stories that capture the in-between, where meaning often hides. POINTE-AU-CHIEN IS NOT DEAD Through Wayan Barre’s documentary, we are invited not only to see but to feel the lived realities of a community standing at the crossroads of environmental collapse and cultural survival. QUEER HAPPENED HERE Author Marc Zinaman sheds light on the valuable contributions that LGBTQ+ individuals have made to the cultural and social fabric of New York City. TRACES OF TIME Marked by an ongoing visual dialogue with time, memory, and impermanence, Zamin Jafarov’s long-term projects highlight the quiet power of observation and the emotional depth of simplicity. THERE MY LITTLE EYES Guillermo Franco’s book is an exploration of seeing beyond the obvious. His work invites us to embrace patience, curiosity, and the unexpected in a world that often rushes past the details. VISUAL HEALING BEYOND THE DIAGNOSIS Betty Goh’s photography exemplifies the transformative power of visual storytelling, where personal adversity becomes a canvas for resilience, illuminating the connection between art, healing, and self-reclamation. EVERYDAY BLACKNESS Parvathi Kumar’s book is a profound tribute to the resilience, and contributions of incredible Black women from all walks of life, making it a vital addition to the conversation around International Women’s Month. A VOYAGE TO DISCOVERY Fanja Hubers’ journey in photography is one of continuous exploration, balancing documentation with artistic self-reflection. MARCH FORWARD Through photography, Suzanne Phoenix creates a space for representation, recognition, and resistance — ensuring that the voices of women and gender-diverse people are seen, heard, and celebrated. FLUX: Exploring Form, Luminescence, and Motion Amy Newton-McConnel embraces unpredictability, finding structure within chaos and allowing light to guide the composition. AN ODE TO SPONTANEITY AND SERENDIPITY Meera Nerurkar captures not just what is seen but also what is felt, turning the everyday into something worth a second glance. THAT’S HOW IT IS Luisa Montagna explores the fluid nature of reality - how it shifts depending on the observer, emphasizing that subjective perception takes precedence over objective truth.

LIFE IN QRIZ Over the last three years, photography has helped Fidan Nazamqizi. Her series reflect the emotions of life in Qriz, a village in Azerbaijan. LIFE IN QRIZ May 24, 2021 INTERVIEW PHOTOGRAPHY Fidan Nazimqizi INTERVIEW Melanie Meggs Facebook X (Twitter) WhatsApp LinkedIn Pinterest Copy link SHARE When we think of life, we often imagine a kaleidoscope of experiences, emotions, and memories. But for photographer Fidan Nazimqizi, life is seen through the lens of her camera. Through her black and white photography, she captures the raw energy, feelings and inspiration of everyday life on the street, creating a unique and captivating perspective. Fidan is a passionate traveler, taking her camera with her on her journeys and reflecting her own vision of reality in each of her photographs. Over the last three years, photography has become an integral part of Fidan's life, changing her outlook on the world. As part of her series 'Life in Qriz', Fidan shares her photographs with the world, inviting viewers to explore the beauty and emotion of the everyday of the Qriz community. “When I'm out taking a photograph, I will not only see but also experience the environment - smell the earth, feel the breeze on my skin, or even hear the sounds around me.” IN CONVERSATION WITH FIDAN NAZIMQIZI THE PICTORIAL LIST: Fidan, please talk to us about your series of photos - LIFE IN QRIZ. FIDAN NAZIMQIZI: Qrız is a village and in the Quba Rayon of Azerbaijan. Quba is a city and the centre of the Quba District of Azerbaijan. The city lies on the north-eastern slopes of Shahdag mountain. The city itself is home to a number of architectural and historic monuments, like the Juma Mosque, Gilgilchay Fortress, and a number of other mosques and mausoleums. Many people come to Quba as part of a trip to other parts around the city. Red Town is the world’s last surviving shtetl, a settlement of Mountain Jews with their own language and culture. Khinalug is the highest village in Azerbaijan, 2,350 m (7,710 ft) above sea level. Khinalug was isolated from the rest of the world for most of its history, leading to unique stone buildings and a language spoken nowhere else. Quba is also popular just as a place to go to enjoy the beautiful nature of Azerbaijan. Quba carpets also make for an interesting trip. These carpets feature intricate designs that take inspiration from nature and geometric patterns, plus a variety of vivid colors. Each village had signature patterns, though many have been lost to time. However, more recently, carpet workshops have been opening in Quba with the aim of bringing back the art of carpet weaving and reviving the skills and knowledge needed to keep this ancient art alive. The village of Qrız sits on a plateau over 2,000 metres up surrounded by dramatic landscapes. They speak their own local language. Qrız language is part of the Caucasus family, in the Dagestan group and the Shahdag sub-group. Their houses are made partly out of picked wooden sticks and stones in the near forests. It is not possible to get to the village by a personal car, only by foot or 4x4 Land Rover. Locals usually earn a living by keeping animals and grazing them. However, the village of Qrız is still the cradle of Qrız identity and culture. It’s history, relying on the little online information that exists, as well as interaction with several locals, is undoubtedly very rich. The Qrız people are reportedly descendants of one of the 26 tribes that made up Caucasian Albania, the ancient state that existed between the 4th century BC and the 8th century AD and encompassed today’s Azerbaijan. Evidence of this is the abundance of old stones from crumbled houses and graves scattered across the plateau on which Qrız sits, which give some idea of the village’s scale in its prime. There is a ancient mosque located in the center of the village. Some Baku hike-tour companies use the village as a base to visit a local waterfall that is especially attractive when frozen in winter. TPL: Tell us about yourself. How did you become interested in photography? FN: Born in the city of Baku, Azerbaijan, I live in Baku. I work as accountant but like photography so much. I have always been interested in photos. When I was younger, I used to pore through drawers of photos and photo albums that my parents made, looking at them, rearranging them and remembering the moment that they were taken. Little did I know that those pictures would someday help shape a great hobby of mine and something that would bring me great joy. TPL: Do you have any favourite artists or photographers you would like to share with us, and the reason for their significance? FN: I find my inspiration from old and vintage photographs. Vivian Maier and her black and white photos have always inspired me. TPL: What do you want to express through your photography? What are some of the elements you always try to include in your photographs? FN: I think my way of seeing will reflect in my choice of the element. When I'm out taking a photograph, I will not only see but also experience the environment - smell the earth, feel the breeze on my skin, or even hear the sounds around me. I use my camera to express my own interpretation of that real event and environment. TPL: Do you have a favourite place to go photograph? FN: Into the hue of the nature and city, I always find myself calm. Most of the time I try my best to capture it in my camera. That is what my rules of work is all about - people and nature - reflecting my own vision as evidence of reality. My notions of what is worth looking is arranging elements and making compositions. I discovered that my camera helped improve my life. Concepts that definitely changed my way of thinking. TPL: When you take pictures, do you usually have a concept in mind of what you want to shoot, or do you let the images just 'come to you', or is it both? FN: I discovered that my camera helped improve my life. Concepts that definitely changed my way of thinking - when I take a photograph, I will not only see but also experience the environment. TPL: Does the equipment you use help you in achieving your vision in your photography? What camera do you use? Do you have a preferred lens/focal length? FN: During 2018 I used to shoot with my Nikon D3100 (18-55mm) only. Nowadays I use a Yashica 35 GSN and Canon 85N with a 35mm. I also use some old cameras: a Fujifilm JZ100 (25-200mm), Kodak STAR EF (35mm). TPL: What happens when you go out with your camera? What is your process? Do people respond positively to you, or do you sometimes get negative reactions? If yes, how do you handle it? FN: I take my camera everywhere and I have tried to take a photo every day for a year. I no longer saw the same streets I walk along everyday, with the same people, and the same thoughts in my head. Sometimes people don’t like when I do photographs. This reason I take photos hidden. Sometimes they ask me take photos too. Different people and different viewing angle. TPL: What are some of your goals as an artist or photographer? Where do you hope to see yourself in five years? FN: Over the last three years, photography has helped me live life a lot better and completely change my perspective on the world. I hope learning and growing too. TPL: Are there any special projects you are currently working on that you would like to let everyone know about? FN: I'm a member of the BerlinExplorer project. A project of ideas and creating an immersive photography experience. BerlinExplorer wants to be an open-door activity and accessible to anyone who wants to gain experience in photography, it is not a closed circle, but an opportunity to grow in a community open to the exchange of ideas and experiences. Creator of this project Emiliano Vittoriosi also did my fanzine “Saudade”. Also I work on my personal project 'Handmade Vintage Papers' and prints photography. TPL: When I am not out photographing, I (like to)… FN: When I am not out photographing, I explore 1940-70’s photographs. Over the last three years, photography has helped Fidan. Her series that she has shared with us reflects the emotions of life in Qriz. To see more of her emotive photography please visit her Instagram. VIEW FIDAN'S PORTFOLIO Fidan's instagram >>> read more interviews >>> GUIDED BY A WHISPER Guided by reflection and the quiet presence of art history, Isolda Fabregat Sanz makes photographs that resist certainty and invite the viewer to remain inside the act of looking. WHAT REMAINS, WHAT EMERGES Laetitia Heisler transforms risk, memory, and the body into layered analogue visions — feminist rituals of seeing that reveal what endures, and what quietly emerges beyond visibility. WHAT WE ARE, WHAT WE DO Culture lives where art and community meet, and in this space Alejandro Dávila’s photographs reveal the unseen labor and devotion that sustain creation. ANALOGICAL LIMBO Nicola Cappellari reminds us that the photograph’s power lies not in what it shows, but in what it leaves unsaid. THREADS OF MOROCCAN LIFE Through gestures of work and moments of community, Kat Puchowska reveals Morocco’s overlooked beauty. IT STARTED AS LIGHT…ENDED IN SHIVERS… Between intimacy and estrangement, Anton Bou’s photographs wander — restless fragments of light and shadow, mapping the fragile terrain where self unravels into sensation. WITH EYES THAT LISTEN AND A HEART THAT SEES For decades, Rivka Shifman Katvan has documented the unseen backstage world of Broadway, capturing authenticity where performance and humanity intersect. DIPTYCH DIALOGUES Through the beautiful language of diptychs, Taiwanese photographer Jay Hsu invites us into a world where quiet images speak of memory, resilience, and hope. UNKNOWN ABYSSINIA In Ethiopia, Sebastian Piatek found a new way of seeing — where architecture endures, but women in motion carry the narrative forward. THE PULSE OF THE STREET Moments vanish, yet Suvam Saha holds them still — the pulse of India’s streets captured in fragments of life that will never repeat. WHAT DO WE WANT? More than documentation, David Gray reveals the human pulse of resistance and asks us to see beyond the surface of unrest. CRACKED RIBS 2016 Cynthia Karalla opens up about the art of survival, the power of perspective, and why she believes each of us holds a monopoly on our own narrative. STREETS OF KOLKATA Ayanava Sil’s reveals Kolkata’s soul, capturing moments with empathy, presence and humility while offering deep insight into both city and self. PERIPHERAL PLACES A project by Catia Montagna that distills fleeting encounters and spatial poetics into triptychs - visual short stories that capture the in-between, where meaning often hides. POINTE-AU-CHIEN IS NOT DEAD Through Wayan Barre’s documentary, we are invited not only to see but to feel the lived realities of a community standing at the crossroads of environmental collapse and cultural survival. QUEER HAPPENED HERE Author Marc Zinaman sheds light on the valuable contributions that LGBTQ+ individuals have made to the cultural and social fabric of New York City. TRACES OF TIME Marked by an ongoing visual dialogue with time, memory, and impermanence, Zamin Jafarov’s long-term projects highlight the quiet power of observation and the emotional depth of simplicity. THERE MY LITTLE EYES Guillermo Franco’s book is an exploration of seeing beyond the obvious. His work invites us to embrace patience, curiosity, and the unexpected in a world that often rushes past the details. VISUAL HEALING BEYOND THE DIAGNOSIS Betty Goh’s photography exemplifies the transformative power of visual storytelling, where personal adversity becomes a canvas for resilience, illuminating the connection between art, healing, and self-reclamation. EVERYDAY BLACKNESS Parvathi Kumar’s book is a profound tribute to the resilience, and contributions of incredible Black women from all walks of life, making it a vital addition to the conversation around International Women’s Month. A VOYAGE TO DISCOVERY Fanja Hubers’ journey in photography is one of continuous exploration, balancing documentation with artistic self-reflection. MARCH FORWARD Through photography, Suzanne Phoenix creates a space for representation, recognition, and resistance — ensuring that the voices of women and gender-diverse people are seen, heard, and celebrated. FLUX: Exploring Form, Luminescence, and Motion Amy Newton-McConnel embraces unpredictability, finding structure within chaos and allowing light to guide the composition. AN ODE TO SPONTANEITY AND SERENDIPITY Meera Nerurkar captures not just what is seen but also what is felt, turning the everyday into something worth a second glance. THAT’S HOW IT IS Luisa Montagna explores the fluid nature of reality - how it shifts depending on the observer, emphasizing that subjective perception takes precedence over objective truth.

STORIES TO BE TOLD Focused on storytelling, Sophie Linckersdorff travels the world with the goal of taking pictures that are thought provoking and beautiful. STORIES TO BE TOLD April 23, 2021 INTERVIEW PHOTOGRAPHY Sophie Linckersdorff INTERVIEW Karin Svadlenak Facebook X (Twitter) WhatsApp LinkedIn Pinterest Copy link SHARE Sophie Linckersdorff is a German photographer who grew up in a household of art dealers and thus had some early exposure to the art world. This later influenced her development as a photographer. Focused on storytelling and documentary photography, she is now a photojournalist, travelling the world with the goal of taking pictures that are thought-provoking rather than merely beautiful. “I was born and grew up in Bavaria, Germany. I became interested in art before I knew I would become photographer. I was strongly influenced by my parents, who are art dealers. When I was 15 I got my first camera. From this moment on it is my constant companion. Today my focus is on authentically visual storytelling and documentary photography. Since 2018, right after school, I study documentary photography and photojournalism in Munich. My passion has turned into my profession.” IN CONVERSATION WITH SOPHIE LINCKERSDORFF THE PICTORIAL LIST: Sophie, where do you find your inspiration? SOPHIE LINKERSDORFF: Absolutely everywhere. In the streets, in art, in the newspaper. Travelling, nature, people are my greatest source of inspiration. Paintings teach me how to compose images. TPL: Have you ever been involved in the artistic world before photography? SL: I grew up in a family of art dealers. That was my door opener for the world of art, for which I am very grateful! TPL: Do you have any favourite artists and photographers? SL: There are so many. I’m really fascinated by Henri Cartier Bresson, the street photographer Vivian Maier and Sebastiao Salgado. TPL: Does the equipment you use help you in achieving your vision in your photography? What camera do you use? Do you have a preferred lens/focal length? SL: It is not all about equipment. Its mainly about observation and the sense of the "decisive moment". Vision is in mind, equipment helps to capture the vision you had for that shot. The most important tools are my eyes, not the camera. There is a story behind every single picture. I am open minded and I like to be surprised. TPL: What are some of your goals as an artist? Where do you see yourself or hope to see yourself in five years? SL: My primary goal as an photographer is to tell stories and to share them. I do not intend to make “beautiful“ pictures. My pictures should be thought-provoking. In five years I wish to be a well-known international photojournalist and to reach a wide range of people with my photos. TPL: Are there any special projects you are currently working on that you would like to let everyone know about? SL: I am working on several long term projects. Let yourself be surprised and stay tuned. TPL: When I am not out photographing, I (like to)... SL: I love to learn foreign languages and travel around the world discovering new cultures. When I am home in Germany I love being in the Alps and going hunting. Thanks for listing me as a 2021 photographer. I feel very honoured. Focused on storytelling, Sophie travels the world with the goal of taking pictures that are thought provoking and beautiful. Currently working on several long term projects please be sure to follow Sophie on Instagram to keep up to date. VIEW SOPHIE'S PORTFOLIO Read READ EXCLUSION ZONE by Sophie Website >>> Instagram >>> read more interviews >>> GUIDED BY A WHISPER Guided by reflection and the quiet presence of art history, Isolda Fabregat Sanz makes photographs that resist certainty and invite the viewer to remain inside the act of looking. WHAT REMAINS, WHAT EMERGES Laetitia Heisler transforms risk, memory, and the body into layered analogue visions — feminist rituals of seeing that reveal what endures, and what quietly emerges beyond visibility. WHAT WE ARE, WHAT WE DO Culture lives where art and community meet, and in this space Alejandro Dávila’s photographs reveal the unseen labor and devotion that sustain creation. ANALOGICAL LIMBO Nicola Cappellari reminds us that the photograph’s power lies not in what it shows, but in what it leaves unsaid. THREADS OF MOROCCAN LIFE Through gestures of work and moments of community, Kat Puchowska reveals Morocco’s overlooked beauty. IT STARTED AS LIGHT…ENDED IN SHIVERS… Between intimacy and estrangement, Anton Bou’s photographs wander — restless fragments of light and shadow, mapping the fragile terrain where self unravels into sensation. WITH EYES THAT LISTEN AND A HEART THAT SEES For decades, Rivka Shifman Katvan has documented the unseen backstage world of Broadway, capturing authenticity where performance and humanity intersect. DIPTYCH DIALOGUES Through the beautiful language of diptychs, Taiwanese photographer Jay Hsu invites us into a world where quiet images speak of memory, resilience, and hope. UNKNOWN ABYSSINIA In Ethiopia, Sebastian Piatek found a new way of seeing — where architecture endures, but women in motion carry the narrative forward. THE PULSE OF THE STREET Moments vanish, yet Suvam Saha holds them still — the pulse of India’s streets captured in fragments of life that will never repeat. WHAT DO WE WANT? More than documentation, David Gray reveals the human pulse of resistance and asks us to see beyond the surface of unrest. CRACKED RIBS 2016 Cynthia Karalla opens up about the art of survival, the power of perspective, and why she believes each of us holds a monopoly on our own narrative. STREETS OF KOLKATA Ayanava Sil’s reveals Kolkata’s soul, capturing moments with empathy, presence and humility while offering deep insight into both city and self. PERIPHERAL PLACES A project by Catia Montagna that distills fleeting encounters and spatial poetics into triptychs - visual short stories that capture the in-between, where meaning often hides. POINTE-AU-CHIEN IS NOT DEAD Through Wayan Barre’s documentary, we are invited not only to see but to feel the lived realities of a community standing at the crossroads of environmental collapse and cultural survival. QUEER HAPPENED HERE Author Marc Zinaman sheds light on the valuable contributions that LGBTQ+ individuals have made to the cultural and social fabric of New York City. TRACES OF TIME Marked by an ongoing visual dialogue with time, memory, and impermanence, Zamin Jafarov’s long-term projects highlight the quiet power of observation and the emotional depth of simplicity. THERE MY LITTLE EYES Guillermo Franco’s book is an exploration of seeing beyond the obvious. His work invites us to embrace patience, curiosity, and the unexpected in a world that often rushes past the details. VISUAL HEALING BEYOND THE DIAGNOSIS Betty Goh’s photography exemplifies the transformative power of visual storytelling, where personal adversity becomes a canvas for resilience, illuminating the connection between art, healing, and self-reclamation. EVERYDAY BLACKNESS Parvathi Kumar’s book is a profound tribute to the resilience, and contributions of incredible Black women from all walks of life, making it a vital addition to the conversation around International Women’s Month. A VOYAGE TO DISCOVERY Fanja Hubers’ journey in photography is one of continuous exploration, balancing documentation with artistic self-reflection. MARCH FORWARD Through photography, Suzanne Phoenix creates a space for representation, recognition, and resistance — ensuring that the voices of women and gender-diverse people are seen, heard, and celebrated. FLUX: Exploring Form, Luminescence, and Motion Amy Newton-McConnel embraces unpredictability, finding structure within chaos and allowing light to guide the composition. AN ODE TO SPONTANEITY AND SERENDIPITY Meera Nerurkar captures not just what is seen but also what is felt, turning the everyday into something worth a second glance. THAT’S HOW IT IS Luisa Montagna explores the fluid nature of reality - how it shifts depending on the observer, emphasizing that subjective perception takes precedence over objective truth.

I am a 57 year old self-taught photographer based in València. I have been taken photographs since I was twenty - friends, family, travels...working in some photo labs and doing some reports. Later, I stopped taking photographs for some years....and then recently I found street photography. JOSE MARCO LULL I am a 57 year old self-taught photographer based in València. I have been taken photographs since I was twenty - friends, family, travels...working in some photo labs and doing some reports. Later, I stopped taking photographs for some years....and then recently I found street photography. LOCATION Valencia SPAIN CAMERA/S Fuji XE2, X100T @MARCO_LULL FEATURES // What Strikes a Chord

INNER ANCESTRAL TRAVEL Maurizio Pichi digs into things and situations photographing the archetypes of the original forms and emotions from which everything starts. INNER ANCESTRAL TRAVEL February 1, 2021 INTERVIEW PHOTOGRAPHY Maurizio Pichi INTERVIEW Melanie Meggs Facebook X (Twitter) WhatsApp LinkedIn Pinterest Copy link SHARE Since childhood, Maurizio Pichi has been passionate about photography and has explored many techniques, striving to capture the beauty of small forgotten moments and facial expressions in his images. With his latest project, INNER ANCESTRAL TRAVEL, Maurizio seeks to combine his physical journey through the woods with a journey inward, merging the two into one single narrative. Through his collection of photographs, Maurizio hopes to document the 'archetypes', the original emotions and forms from which all things originate. By taking this journey of exploration and discovery, Maurizio seeks to create a deeply meaningful and powerful photographic series. “I consider 'Inner Ancestral Travel' as a mature project, intended as an important step in a personal journey. Digging inside and digging into things and situations, I realized that basically there are the "archetypes", the original forms and emotions, from which everything starts. I tried to combine my sensations and the search for forms, merging the physical journey into the woods and the journey within myself, trying to obtain a single narrative through images.” IN CONVERSATION WITH MAURIZIO PICHI THE PICTORIAL LIST: Maurizio please tell us about yourself. How did you become interested in photography? MAURIZIO PICHI: I was born in Arezzo in Tuscany, where I currently live. I owe the “responsibility” of my passion for photography to my grandmother. She was a curious and brilliant woman, she loved to photograph with her Voigtlander 6x6 and later with a 35mm fixed lens camera, a Petri 7sII. When he taught me how to use them, it seemed to me that I was holding something magical in my hand. I always tried to keep a bit of that magic of wonder that you feel when you “see” an image to be captured. TPL: Talk to us more about you building a large format camera and wanting to explore antique techniques. MP: This is a project that intrigues me a lot and that is part of the desire to make "portraits" that is growing up more and more. With street photography I have explored and I explore people in action in their environment. With “posed” portraits I would like to be able to “capture” the soul of the subjects and fix it in an image. TPL: Where do you find your inspiration? MP: In my opinion, the seed of inspiration is born within us and must be cultivated. When I was teaching photography courses, many times I happened to answer the question of what is useful for taking good photos that can excite. I have always replied that it is necessary to read, visit exhibitions and museums, listen to music and travel. It is necessary to cultivate oneself, to be able to marvel and be sensitive to beauty. This helps a lot in the construction of a narrative thread that can link the images of the same project. Very important is the composition caring, which must be born at the time of shooting. For this reason, an education in vision is very important. TPL: Do you have a favourite place to photograph? MP: It depends on the mood. It can be extremely stimulating to go along the course of a river, to be truly guided by the noises of nature, to try to tell those sensations or vice versa to mix with people in places with a lot of movement. Railway stations are an ideal place to gather faces, situations and emotions, in stations you wait, you look. The two situations, natural places and crowded places, have one thing in common: they both have their own music, their own rhythm. We just have to follow him. For example, when I hear the wind and see a flock of birds flying high, I associate it with the sound of a Japanese flute. TPL: You also do a lot of street photography. What happens when you walk the streets with your camera? Explain your technique? MP: Street photography is a passion of mine. It's a hunt: situations are sniffed and we try to predict how they will evolve. For this kind of photography you need to be in tune with your equipment to shoot very quickly. As an optic in these situations, I prefer wide-angle lenses that allow me to come into almost physical contact with the subject by shooting at a very short distance. Live each day as if it were your last. - For me it means not taking anything for granted or achieved definitively. Live, breathe as deeply as possible. Listen and see with all the senses you have. Every day is a new project. TPL: What do you want to express through your photography? And what are some of the elements you always try to include in your photographs? MP: I want to show that beauty and harmony can be around us, you just need to open your eyes and soul. I have a series of images which is called "Used". They are photos of abandoned, used objects. With my images I wanted to show that even those who are forgotten or no longer considered useful have their dignity and can have beauty. much depends on how we place ourselves in front of things or people. I can say that in my images there is always an immediately perceptible element. A protagonist. Then, if you look carefully, you can find other elements and points of interest. TPL: Do you have any favourite artists or photographers you would like to share with us, and the reason for their significance? MP: Many times I have been told that some of my images, especially nocturnes, recall Edward Hopper, whom I greatly appreciate for his portrayal of repressed and heartbreaking melancholy and loneliness of human beings. I consider his way of seeing very current and contemporary. Edward Weston is a constant source of inspiration for his religious attention to the plasticity of forms (my photographic avatar, a ball of paper, is unworthily inspired by his Pepper # 30) I can't help but mention Henri Cartier-Bresson, WeeGee, Gianni Berengo Gardin, Lucio Fontana for his colors, Maurizio Galimberti for his strength as an experimenter. TPL: Does the equipment you use help you in achieving your vision in your photography? What camera do you use? Do you have a preferred lens/focal length? MP: Preferring a very dynamic photography, I use the APS-C format. Lightweight and compact equipment. I use my faithful Sony A6000 that I am about to change, with some fixed lenses from 16mm to 60mm, and zoom 16-55mm, 55-200mm. My favorite focal length is 16mm. TPL: When you go out photographing, do you have a concept in mind of what you want to shoot, or do you let the images just "come to you", or is it both? MP: I am attracted to both situations. 'Inner Ancestral Travel' is a project that comes from a precise idea around a theme that involves the photographed subjects and post production. So everything is turned in a precise direction from the first moment. The direction in a project must not be felt as a constraint, as a forcing, but as a very strong intent towards the completion of the project which also passes through a selection of images. But I am also attracted to impromptu photography. Being struck by a small detail or by a person's gesture excites me and invites me to take a photo. One thing I complain to myself about is how many photos I've seen and couldn't take because I was driving the car or didn't have a camera with me. TPL: Are there any special projects you are currently working on that you would like to let everyone know about?What are some of your goals as an artist? Where do you see yourself or hope to see yourself in five years? MP: I am growing my equipment, in particular lights equipment, because I would like to dedicate myself to portraiture by going to people to have them pose in their environment or even on the street. The commitment will be to bring out a story from a single image. A great challenge. The forbidden dream is to be able to devote oneself to ancient techniques such as wet collodion. The goal is to be able to keep the fire always lit and the desire to "see" and to show beauty. I do not deny that seeing the emotion of people in front of their images is always an extremely touching and engaging experience. It is as if there is something that unites even if we have never met. Perhaps this is precisely the function of art. So I hope to see myself still walking with my eyes looking for images to collect. TPL: When I am not out photographing, I (like to)... MP: I like to read essays on history, particularly medieval. I am interested in the symbols that were used at that time. I love sports, basketball mostly, and movement in general, traveling, hearing music and playing it, even if I'm not very capable. Maurizio Pichi’s series is a captivating photographic journey that is both physical and metaphysical, allowing viewers to explore the beauty of forgotten moments and discover the emotion and form that shapes our world. With his vision and dedication, he has created something truly unique and meaningful. We invite you to join Maurizio on this journey and explore more of his inspiring work. VIEW MAURIZIO'S PORTFOLIO Website >>> Instagram >>> read more interviews >>> GUIDED BY A WHISPER Guided by reflection and the quiet presence of art history, Isolda Fabregat Sanz makes photographs that resist certainty and invite the viewer to remain inside the act of looking. WHAT REMAINS, WHAT EMERGES Laetitia Heisler transforms risk, memory, and the body into layered analogue visions — feminist rituals of seeing that reveal what endures, and what quietly emerges beyond visibility. WHAT WE ARE, WHAT WE DO Culture lives where art and community meet, and in this space Alejandro Dávila’s photographs reveal the unseen labor and devotion that sustain creation. ANALOGICAL LIMBO Nicola Cappellari reminds us that the photograph’s power lies not in what it shows, but in what it leaves unsaid. THREADS OF MOROCCAN LIFE Through gestures of work and moments of community, Kat Puchowska reveals Morocco’s overlooked beauty. IT STARTED AS LIGHT…ENDED IN SHIVERS… Between intimacy and estrangement, Anton Bou’s photographs wander — restless fragments of light and shadow, mapping the fragile terrain where self unravels into sensation. WITH EYES THAT LISTEN AND A HEART THAT SEES For decades, Rivka Shifman Katvan has documented the unseen backstage world of Broadway, capturing authenticity where performance and humanity intersect. DIPTYCH DIALOGUES Through the beautiful language of diptychs, Taiwanese photographer Jay Hsu invites us into a world where quiet images speak of memory, resilience, and hope. UNKNOWN ABYSSINIA In Ethiopia, Sebastian Piatek found a new way of seeing — where architecture endures, but women in motion carry the narrative forward. THE PULSE OF THE STREET Moments vanish, yet Suvam Saha holds them still — the pulse of India’s streets captured in fragments of life that will never repeat. WHAT DO WE WANT? More than documentation, David Gray reveals the human pulse of resistance and asks us to see beyond the surface of unrest. CRACKED RIBS 2016 Cynthia Karalla opens up about the art of survival, the power of perspective, and why she believes each of us holds a monopoly on our own narrative. STREETS OF KOLKATA Ayanava Sil’s reveals Kolkata’s soul, capturing moments with empathy, presence and humility while offering deep insight into both city and self. PERIPHERAL PLACES A project by Catia Montagna that distills fleeting encounters and spatial poetics into triptychs - visual short stories that capture the in-between, where meaning often hides. POINTE-AU-CHIEN IS NOT DEAD Through Wayan Barre’s documentary, we are invited not only to see but to feel the lived realities of a community standing at the crossroads of environmental collapse and cultural survival. QUEER HAPPENED HERE Author Marc Zinaman sheds light on the valuable contributions that LGBTQ+ individuals have made to the cultural and social fabric of New York City. TRACES OF TIME Marked by an ongoing visual dialogue with time, memory, and impermanence, Zamin Jafarov’s long-term projects highlight the quiet power of observation and the emotional depth of simplicity. THERE MY LITTLE EYES Guillermo Franco’s book is an exploration of seeing beyond the obvious. His work invites us to embrace patience, curiosity, and the unexpected in a world that often rushes past the details. VISUAL HEALING BEYOND THE DIAGNOSIS Betty Goh’s photography exemplifies the transformative power of visual storytelling, where personal adversity becomes a canvas for resilience, illuminating the connection between art, healing, and self-reclamation. EVERYDAY BLACKNESS Parvathi Kumar’s book is a profound tribute to the resilience, and contributions of incredible Black women from all walks of life, making it a vital addition to the conversation around International Women’s Month. A VOYAGE TO DISCOVERY Fanja Hubers’ journey in photography is one of continuous exploration, balancing documentation with artistic self-reflection. MARCH FORWARD Through photography, Suzanne Phoenix creates a space for representation, recognition, and resistance — ensuring that the voices of women and gender-diverse people are seen, heard, and celebrated. FLUX: Exploring Form, Luminescence, and Motion Amy Newton-McConnel embraces unpredictability, finding structure within chaos and allowing light to guide the composition. AN ODE TO SPONTANEITY AND SERENDIPITY Meera Nerurkar captures not just what is seen but also what is felt, turning the everyday into something worth a second glance. THAT’S HOW IT IS Luisa Montagna explores the fluid nature of reality - how it shifts depending on the observer, emphasizing that subjective perception takes precedence over objective truth.

LET THE SUN SHINE Elizabeth Paoletti is mesmerized by colour, beautiful light and the tiniest details. She enjoys the challenge of photographing the mundane. LET THE SUN SHINE March 2, 2022 INTERVIEW PHOTOGRAPHY Elizabeth Paoletti INTERVIEW Karen Ghostlaw Pomarico Facebook X (Twitter) WhatsApp LinkedIn Pinterest Copy link SHARE Elizabeth Paoletti is a passionate photographer who is always ready to take her skills to the next level. While she loves all genres of photography, she considers herself more of a creative photographer. As her interest in photography evolved, she began to experiment with different camera techniques and particularly loves using intentional camera movement to create a more abstract or artistic feel to her photos. She is mesmerized by vibrant colors, beautiful light and the tiniest details, and enjoys the challenge of photographing the mundane. Yellow is one of Elizabeth’s favorite colors and is the color of thread that ties this series of photographs together. For Elizabeth, yellow is cheerful and reminds her of her sister, Alyssa. She loves Alyssa’s sunny and positive disposition, and dedicates this selection of photographs to her. She also wants to thank her brother, Marc. He knows why. “Once I picked up the camera and understood the basics, I realized that I could play around with color, contrast, texture and pattern with more success. The irony is that I may not have been good at painting with a paintbrush, but I sure do enjoy the process of “painting” with my camera.” IN CONVERSATION WITH ELIZABETH PAOLETTI THE PICTORIAL LIST: Elizabeth, you say you were born and raised in the United States. What do you think you bring to your work as an American photographer? How does that translate to your images? ELIZABETH PAOLETTI: Not only was I born and raised in the United States, but I was raised by Italian-American parents who valued the arts. I was raised with the classics. I grew up playing the piano, and I was surrounded by opera, ballet, theater, musicals and painting. My mom is a painter, and I grew up with a lot of vivid color in the home. I believe the genesis of every artistic impulse I have revolves back to my upbringing, and in the case of my photography, I strongly resonate with brighter, more vibrant colors. TPL: When did you first pick up a camera? What was that experience like? How did you know you wanted to be a photographer? EP: I first picked up a camera when my daughter was born, and then later when my daughter decided to pursue Eventing. Eventing is essentially an equestrian triathlon where a single horse and rider compete against other competitors across the three disciplines of dressage, cross-country and show jumping. For me the most exciting part of this competition was show jumping, and I wanted to capture my daughter in action jumping over fences and other obstacles. At the time, I kept trying for successful photos using my old point-and-shoot camera on auto mode. Fast forward a year and my husband purchased my first Nikon DSLR as a Christmas gift. I must confess, it sat in the box for a long time before I actually opened it. That big Nikon camera intimidated me, but with time I began to feel more comfortable using it. In the end, I still didn’t get those satisfying shots of my daughter jumping. Show jumping is inherently dangerous. I realized I was shaking and that it wasn’t the wrong shutter speed that resulted in an out-of-focus photo, it was my nerves. It’s a mom thing. In any case, I was hooked on photography. I loved how the creative process felt. My adrenaline would pump when I looked through the viewfinder and saw something compelling. TPL: You say that you consider yourself a creative photographer, tell us what that means to you. EP: Over the years, I’ve experimented with many forms of creativity: drama, sewing, pottery, stenciling, collage, drawing, painting and interior design. I wanted so badly to be good at drawing and painting, but I was just terrible. Once I picked up the camera and understood the basics, I realized that I could play around with color, contrast, texture and pattern with more success. The irony is that I may not have been good at painting with a paintbrush, but I sure do enjoy the process of “painting” with my camera (intentional camera movement), and I feel successful in the process. TPL: Do you consider your playfulness with the camera to be part of your photographic style? EP: Definitely. Photography wouldn’t be a passion of mine if I didn’t have the opportunity to go beyond just looking through the viewfinder and clicking. Shooting through objects, creative focusing, using props to create interesting shadows and flares and intentionally moving the camera. I find all these processes very rewarding. Sometimes just pushing a button is wonderful. The world of macro is fascinating. If I were to move the camera while shooting macro, I wouldn’t have the clarity I wanted, but being playful with the camera is when I feel the most gratified. TPL: Your unique use of color is captivating, please tell us about the important role color plays in your work. EP: I grew up with bright colors in the home. At one time we had an orange rug, colorful artwork on the walls, and brightly colored seat cushions on our kitchen chairs. I connect to the happiness and joy that only vibrant colors can bring, so to express myself with my camera in this manner is immensely satisfying. TPL: You mention the 'Mundane'. What inspiration do you find in the 'Mundane'? EP: Aaahhh, the mundane. I love the challenge of photographing the ordinary, whether there are vibrant colors or not. Let’s say I’m out hiking and I want to photograph the mountainous view. I will take the picture, but I will never feel creatively satisfied with a landscape shot. Not to take anything away from all the exceptional landscape photographers out there, but for me, Mother Nature has done all the creative work. Mother Nature has given me what is big and beautiful, so I feel less challenged in the photographic process. I love photographing ordinary things in a way that sings to me and hopefully to the viewer as well. I connect to the happiness and joy that only vibrant colors can bring, so to express myself with my camera in this manner is immensely satisfying. TPL: What are some tips or advice you would give yourself if you started photography all over again? EP: I would tell my beginner photographer-self to listen with abandon to her creative voice. Art is an expression of the artist, and there is a vulnerability that goes along with that. Don’t worry about what other people think. The beauty about art is that it doesn’t want anything from you. It gives to the viewers, and the viewers decide whether the gift is right for them. Be okay with the fact that your work will not resonate with everybody. Creatively express yourself in a way that makes YOU happy. TPL: Do you have any favourite artists or photographers you would like to share with us, and the reason for their significance? EP: I love Avtandil Makharoblidze. I have one of his giclees hanging on my dining room wall. His use of vibrant colors is fantastic. I also have Mahmood Sabzi hanging in my home. I adore his use of line, color and symbolism. In terms of photographers, I love Bryan Peterson’s work. You can find him on Instagram. He doesn’t know it, but he totally inspires me. His unabashed use of color is wonderful. He creates portraits, abstracts, landscapes, macros…you name it, and he does it. Not only does he do it, but he does it all so beautifully. As a photographer, I would be miserable if I were locked into one genre of photography. I want to photograph anything and everything to the best of my creative ability, so when I see the work of someone like Bryan Peterson, it motivates me beyond measure. I actually learned from him. I have taken several of his online courses and have all his books. He has a very diverse, creative and colorful approach to his picture making. TPL: What are any lasting impressions you would like to leave the viewer? What is their ‘Take Away’? EP: Color makes me feel like that six-year-old who received a new box of crayons. If I can pass that feeling along to my viewers, I’m happy. If I can distract people from their daily responsibilities by transporting them to a time when they felt more childlike and free, I’m happy. Color evokes a spectrum of emotions. I hope to evoke an authentic emotional reaction with my photography. I’m especially thrilled when people tell me that they find my work inspiring and, because of it, they want to try something new. TPL: Does the equipment you use help you in achieving your vision in your photography? What camera do you use? Do you have a preferred lens/focal length? EP: I use a Nikon D7200 for most of my images, and I have several lenses. I’d say most of the time I am using my Nikon 18-300mm lens. When I’m shooting macro, I’m usually using my Sigma 60mm lens. At some point, I plan on transitioning to mirrorless and look forward to carrying a camera that is lighter. TPL: What are some of your goals as an artist or photographer? Where do you hope to see yourself in five years? EP: One of my goals is to finally have a website. Every now and again I get asked if a photo is for sale, so I figure I'd get some content online. I’ve been working towards this goal for the past several months. It’s been a grueling process. I look forward to when I’m finally finished. I also plan on shooting several series of images and joining at least one supportive online community. There’s something very empowering and motivating about spending time with creatively like-minded people. I’d also like to be part of some gallery exhibits and to be published in print magazines. TPL: "When I am not out photographing, I (like to)… EP: Listen to music; spend time with family, both human and furry; and get my 10,000 steps in for the day." We take this opportunity to thank Elizabeth for this interview, who with her images has mesmerized us by her use of colour, beautiful light and the tiniest details. Please connect with Elizabeth below and follow her colorful life. VIEW ELIZABETH'S PORTFOLIO Instagram >>> read more interviews >>> GUIDED BY A WHISPER Guided by reflection and the quiet presence of art history, Isolda Fabregat Sanz makes photographs that resist certainty and invite the viewer to remain inside the act of looking. WHAT REMAINS, WHAT EMERGES Laetitia Heisler transforms risk, memory, and the body into layered analogue visions — feminist rituals of seeing that reveal what endures, and what quietly emerges beyond visibility. WHAT WE ARE, WHAT WE DO Culture lives where art and community meet, and in this space Alejandro Dávila’s photographs reveal the unseen labor and devotion that sustain creation. ANALOGICAL LIMBO Nicola Cappellari reminds us that the photograph’s power lies not in what it shows, but in what it leaves unsaid. THREADS OF MOROCCAN LIFE Through gestures of work and moments of community, Kat Puchowska reveals Morocco’s overlooked beauty. IT STARTED AS LIGHT…ENDED IN SHIVERS… Between intimacy and estrangement, Anton Bou’s photographs wander — restless fragments of light and shadow, mapping the fragile terrain where self unravels into sensation. WITH EYES THAT LISTEN AND A HEART THAT SEES For decades, Rivka Shifman Katvan has documented the unseen backstage world of Broadway, capturing authenticity where performance and humanity intersect. DIPTYCH DIALOGUES Through the beautiful language of diptychs, Taiwanese photographer Jay Hsu invites us into a world where quiet images speak of memory, resilience, and hope. UNKNOWN ABYSSINIA In Ethiopia, Sebastian Piatek found a new way of seeing — where architecture endures, but women in motion carry the narrative forward. THE PULSE OF THE STREET Moments vanish, yet Suvam Saha holds them still — the pulse of India’s streets captured in fragments of life that will never repeat. WHAT DO WE WANT? More than documentation, David Gray reveals the human pulse of resistance and asks us to see beyond the surface of unrest. CRACKED RIBS 2016 Cynthia Karalla opens up about the art of survival, the power of perspective, and why she believes each of us holds a monopoly on our own narrative. STREETS OF KOLKATA Ayanava Sil’s reveals Kolkata’s soul, capturing moments with empathy, presence and humility while offering deep insight into both city and self. PERIPHERAL PLACES A project by Catia Montagna that distills fleeting encounters and spatial poetics into triptychs - visual short stories that capture the in-between, where meaning often hides. POINTE-AU-CHIEN IS NOT DEAD Through Wayan Barre’s documentary, we are invited not only to see but to feel the lived realities of a community standing at the crossroads of environmental collapse and cultural survival. QUEER HAPPENED HERE Author Marc Zinaman sheds light on the valuable contributions that LGBTQ+ individuals have made to the cultural and social fabric of New York City. TRACES OF TIME Marked by an ongoing visual dialogue with time, memory, and impermanence, Zamin Jafarov’s long-term projects highlight the quiet power of observation and the emotional depth of simplicity. THERE MY LITTLE EYES Guillermo Franco’s book is an exploration of seeing beyond the obvious. His work invites us to embrace patience, curiosity, and the unexpected in a world that often rushes past the details. VISUAL HEALING BEYOND THE DIAGNOSIS Betty Goh’s photography exemplifies the transformative power of visual storytelling, where personal adversity becomes a canvas for resilience, illuminating the connection between art, healing, and self-reclamation. EVERYDAY BLACKNESS Parvathi Kumar’s book is a profound tribute to the resilience, and contributions of incredible Black women from all walks of life, making it a vital addition to the conversation around International Women’s Month. A VOYAGE TO DISCOVERY Fanja Hubers’ journey in photography is one of continuous exploration, balancing documentation with artistic self-reflection. MARCH FORWARD Through photography, Suzanne Phoenix creates a space for representation, recognition, and resistance — ensuring that the voices of women and gender-diverse people are seen, heard, and celebrated. FLUX: Exploring Form, Luminescence, and Motion Amy Newton-McConnel embraces unpredictability, finding structure within chaos and allowing light to guide the composition. AN ODE TO SPONTANEITY AND SERENDIPITY Meera Nerurkar captures not just what is seen but also what is felt, turning the everyday into something worth a second glance. THAT’S HOW IT IS Luisa Montagna explores the fluid nature of reality - how it shifts depending on the observer, emphasizing that subjective perception takes precedence over objective truth.

JOHN AGATHER From leading business ventures across diverse industries to creating meaningful art through music and photography, my journey reflects a unique blend of entrepreneurial leadership and creative expression. I was born in Mexico and am now based in San Antonio, Texas. I began photographing in black and white at fourteen, spending long hours in the darkroom where I found both discipline and refuge. My work centers on documentary and street photography, driven by the pursuit of moments as they unfold. I draw inspiration from photographers such as Atget, Erwitt, and Cartier-Bresson, whose approaches to observation and timing continue to inform my practice. I am a member of The Raw Society, and my work has been published in Street Photography Magazine, Air Speed Magazine, Menorca – Es Diari, and the Raw Society Substack. Alongside photography, I am an entrepreneur and a singer-songwriter with several albums to my name. LOCATION San Antonio TEXAS CAMERA/S Hasselblad X2D II 100C WEBSITE https://www.johnagather.com/ @JOHNAGATHER FEATURES // Delta Dusk

STREET CHOREOGRAPHY Streetmax 21 photographs the built environment, static and inanimate, the stage upon which a walking choreography is played out. STREET CHOREOGRAPHY June 14, 2021 INTERVIEW PHOTOGRAPHY Streetmax 21 INTERVIEW Melanie Meggs Facebook X (Twitter) WhatsApp LinkedIn Pinterest Copy link SHARE As we live in a world that is becoming increasingly designed and governed by rules, it can often feel like the individual is an automaton within the system. The streets are filled with people, all seemingly going through the motions of their lives without much thought or emotion. Streetmax 21, a renowned street photographer, uses his lens to capture the beauty of this seemingly mundane world in his candid shots. He observes how our present circumstances govern our behavior individually and in crowds, and has captured scenes that beg the question – are we self-absorbed passersby uncannily playing out parts in isolation, or have we been conditioned to act in a certain way? His photographs are often taken in a half light with a muted colour palette, creating an atmosphere that speaks to our current state of affairs. But while at first glance there may seem something sad about these corporate scenes, Streetmax 21's intention is to transcend the mundane and make comical comment on our environment. Through his photographs, we can gain a unique perspective on how our circumstances shape our behavior. “I think it’s imperative to be aware of trends impacting upon the human condition and to have a ready means of translating or alluding to these aesthetically. For example, It’s become very obvious today that technology has caused behavioural change in both overt and subtle ways. It connects us, but it has been instrumental also in disconnecting many from real society. I’m conscious of letting these polarities inform the images I make.” IN CONVERSATION WITH STREETMAX 21 THE PICTORIAL LIST: Streetmax please tell us about yourself. How did you become interested in photography? STREETMAX 21: I was born in Dundee, Scotland. I shuttle between London, where I’ve spent most of my adult life, and Norfolk, where I live now. I became interested in photography by degrees, at first using it as a means to assist in painting which I studied at art college. I’ve taken photographs ever since, working professionally for a while as an architectural photographer. My foray into street photography came about almost accidentally as a sideline to the large format architecture I was shooting for clients. I began to realise slowly that it was something I could do on my own terms. TPL: Where do you find inspiration to photograph? SM21: It’s difficult to pinpoint where I find inspiration but I like to think about what it is I’m trying to do. I’ll have several ideas fructifying at any one time, most of which I’ll later discard. The important thing is to find something that works on a multiplicity of levels. In a world awash with imagery, it’s necessary to strike up a signature style and augment it with relevant and recognizable add-ons. TPL: What do you want to express through your photography? What are some of the elements you always try to include in your photographs? SM21: I think it’s imperative to be aware of trends impacting upon the human condition and to have a ready means of translating or alluding to these aesthetically. For example, It’s become very obvious today that technology has caused behavioural change in both overt and subtle ways. It connects us, but it has been instrumental also in disconnecting many from real society. I’m conscious of letting these polarities inform the images I make. Although I predominantly photograph figures, both minimalism and conceptualism are forms which I have in mind always although I don’t necessarily work with their rigour. Photographic layering is less important to me than layers of meaning. The meaning of separated figures as a metaphor arises. Do they play with shifts in meaning yet evoke different analogies? Would it have been possible to make this work in another era? I don’t have answers, only questions made manifest by enigmatic imagery. TPL: What happens when you go out with your camera? Do people respond positively to you, or do you sometimes get negative reactions? If yes, how do you handle it? SM21: I try to use techniques that ensure I don’t draw too much attention to myself when shooting. For instance, on taking up a position, I often shoot from just below eye-level at chin height, lowering my eye to the viewfinder periodically to check the framing. This enables me not only to better see what’s about to enter the frame by looking over the camera, but gives the impression that I’m not shooting at all, merely considering it. Bar the occasional passer-by who’ll enquire about the camera I’m using, I don’t get much response either way. TPL: When you take pictures, do you usually have a concept in mind of what you want to shoot, or do you let the images just "come to you", or is it both? SM21: Very occasionally images come to me but usually I adopt a watch and wait approach. I keep a number of locations in mind that I can return to when conditions are right. Some, I’ll visit several times. I’m looking for rhythm in moving figures and to have them separated visually within plastic space. Even though I’m working in a real environment, shooting figures in this way can give them an unreal look. It’s this kind of dichotomy that I find interesting. I photograph people because they’re more interesting than ideas, and I see figuration as a casing or a vehicular language capable of externalising concepts. I photograph people because they’re more interesting than ideas, and I see figuration as a casing or a vehicular language capable of externalising concepts. TPL: Do you have any favourite artists or photographers you would like to share with us, and the reason for their significance? SM21: My visual cues derive from a variety of media, mainly painting. Favourites here would be Nicolas Poussin, Holbein drawings, Ingres drawings, Eadweard Muybridge, Futurists, Photo-realists including Howard Kanovitz, Conceptualists Opalka, Darboven, Kawara and LeWitt. I like the idea of continuity in art - one artist/photographer laying the groundwork for another to follow and reinterpret. The best example of this was the British post-war sculpture movement, the most authentic to come out of London in recent times. In photography, being able to use light like Ray Metzker and having an eye for colour like Fred Herzog are things I aspire to. That said, I prefer to perceive what may be relevant artistically/photographically without looking too closely at the work of other artists/photographers. It’s enough to be aware of the cannon so as not to commit the sin of repeating it. TPL: Does the equipment you use help you in achieving your vision in your photography? What camera do you use? Do you have a preferred lens/focal length? SM21: I work with Fuji x-series cameras with 35mm equivalent lenses. I use a Nikon with wide angle lenses also. The only attachment I have is a spirit level mounted on the shoe - useful if I want to shoot from the hip or when I can’t see the on-board camera spirit level. Depth of field is always a concern for me given the complexity of what I’m attempting to photograph. In changeable London weather conditions, x-series cameras are pretty good when it's sunny, but at wider apertures they can soften badly at the image edge. TPL: Do you have a favourite place to go photograph? SM21: The bulk of my street photography has been done in London and particularly the City of London, often referred to as “The Square Mile”. I lived on the fringe of the City for over a decade and it became my photographic playground. Few live in it and it’s often deserted at weekends. The richest borough in the world surrounded by some of the poorest boroughs in Europe is a place like no other. I’ve referred before to it’s robotic formality, which I find compelling. It’s forever in an amoeba-like state of renewal. As well as the Portland Stone and metal clad corporate environment, I often photograph figures amidst the graphic devices of scaffolding and temporary hoardings as a nod to this continual regeneration. TPL: What are some of your goals as an artist or photographer? Where do you hope to see yourself in five years? SM21: I aim for consistency and continuity. It’s very difficult to do good work. If it weren’t, people would do it all the time. I’m trying to attain and maintain a strength, quality and intelligence that I seek in the work of others. Who can say where one will be in five years? I would hope that the basic concepts I’ve put in place serve to further enhance the impact of the street photography strategy I’ve embarked upon. TPL: Are there any special projects you are currently working on that you would like to let everyone know about? SM21: I’m toying with the idea of authoring some past and future work under another ‘nom de guerre’ - someone influenced by Streetmax 21 and street photography but who makes other work in a variety of media. TPL: When I am not out photographing, I (like to)… SM21: Feel secure in the knowledge that I have the two most important things a photographer needs in life; a good mattress and a good pair of shoes. If I’m not in one, I’m in the other. Streetmax photographs the built environment, static and inanimate, the stage upon which a walking choreography is played out. Thank you Streetmax for sharing your inspiring insights and photography. Connect with Streetmax through the links below. VIEW MAX'S PORTFOLIO Website >>> Instagram >>> read more interviews >>> GUIDED BY A WHISPER Guided by reflection and the quiet presence of art history, Isolda Fabregat Sanz makes photographs that resist certainty and invite the viewer to remain inside the act of looking. WHAT REMAINS, WHAT EMERGES Laetitia Heisler transforms risk, memory, and the body into layered analogue visions — feminist rituals of seeing that reveal what endures, and what quietly emerges beyond visibility. WHAT WE ARE, WHAT WE DO Culture lives where art and community meet, and in this space Alejandro Dávila’s photographs reveal the unseen labor and devotion that sustain creation. ANALOGICAL LIMBO Nicola Cappellari reminds us that the photograph’s power lies not in what it shows, but in what it leaves unsaid. THREADS OF MOROCCAN LIFE Through gestures of work and moments of community, Kat Puchowska reveals Morocco’s overlooked beauty. IT STARTED AS LIGHT…ENDED IN SHIVERS… Between intimacy and estrangement, Anton Bou’s photographs wander — restless fragments of light and shadow, mapping the fragile terrain where self unravels into sensation. WITH EYES THAT LISTEN AND A HEART THAT SEES For decades, Rivka Shifman Katvan has documented the unseen backstage world of Broadway, capturing authenticity where performance and humanity intersect. DIPTYCH DIALOGUES Through the beautiful language of diptychs, Taiwanese photographer Jay Hsu invites us into a world where quiet images speak of memory, resilience, and hope. UNKNOWN ABYSSINIA In Ethiopia, Sebastian Piatek found a new way of seeing — where architecture endures, but women in motion carry the narrative forward. THE PULSE OF THE STREET Moments vanish, yet Suvam Saha holds them still — the pulse of India’s streets captured in fragments of life that will never repeat. WHAT DO WE WANT? More than documentation, David Gray reveals the human pulse of resistance and asks us to see beyond the surface of unrest. CRACKED RIBS 2016 Cynthia Karalla opens up about the art of survival, the power of perspective, and why she believes each of us holds a monopoly on our own narrative. STREETS OF KOLKATA Ayanava Sil’s reveals Kolkata’s soul, capturing moments with empathy, presence and humility while offering deep insight into both city and self. PERIPHERAL PLACES A project by Catia Montagna that distills fleeting encounters and spatial poetics into triptychs - visual short stories that capture the in-between, where meaning often hides. POINTE-AU-CHIEN IS NOT DEAD Through Wayan Barre’s documentary, we are invited not only to see but to feel the lived realities of a community standing at the crossroads of environmental collapse and cultural survival. QUEER HAPPENED HERE Author Marc Zinaman sheds light on the valuable contributions that LGBTQ+ individuals have made to the cultural and social fabric of New York City. TRACES OF TIME Marked by an ongoing visual dialogue with time, memory, and impermanence, Zamin Jafarov’s long-term projects highlight the quiet power of observation and the emotional depth of simplicity. THERE MY LITTLE EYES Guillermo Franco’s book is an exploration of seeing beyond the obvious. His work invites us to embrace patience, curiosity, and the unexpected in a world that often rushes past the details. VISUAL HEALING BEYOND THE DIAGNOSIS Betty Goh’s photography exemplifies the transformative power of visual storytelling, where personal adversity becomes a canvas for resilience, illuminating the connection between art, healing, and self-reclamation. EVERYDAY BLACKNESS Parvathi Kumar’s book is a profound tribute to the resilience, and contributions of incredible Black women from all walks of life, making it a vital addition to the conversation around International Women’s Month. A VOYAGE TO DISCOVERY Fanja Hubers’ journey in photography is one of continuous exploration, balancing documentation with artistic self-reflection. MARCH FORWARD Through photography, Suzanne Phoenix creates a space for representation, recognition, and resistance — ensuring that the voices of women and gender-diverse people are seen, heard, and celebrated. FLUX: Exploring Form, Luminescence, and Motion Amy Newton-McConnel embraces unpredictability, finding structure within chaos and allowing light to guide the composition. AN ODE TO SPONTANEITY AND SERENDIPITY Meera Nerurkar captures not just what is seen but also what is felt, turning the everyday into something worth a second glance. THAT’S HOW IT IS Luisa Montagna explores the fluid nature of reality - how it shifts depending on the observer, emphasizing that subjective perception takes precedence over objective truth.

DOWNTOWN ATLANTA By showcasing the understated beauty of ordinary city spaces, Branden May's photography captures the essence of urban life in a way that is both unconventional and captivating. DOWNTOWN ATLANTA April 28, 2023 INTERVIEW PHOTOGRAPHY Branden May INTERVIEW Melanie Meggs Facebook X (Twitter) WhatsApp LinkedIn Pinterest Copy link SHARE For over 15 years, Branden May has been capturing the wonders of street photography with his camera. His passion for the craft began as a young boy, when his father gave him his first taste of film photography. Since that moment, Branden has not been able to put down his camera. He has developed a unique perspective on the world and captures it with his lens, creating a stunningly beautiful blend of street, architecture, and light and shadow. Branden is an intrepid explorer of the world's diverse beauty, and his work is a vivid reminder of the world around us. Every one of Branden's shots is a testament to his unwavering dedication to the craft of photography, and a stirring invitation to explore its fascinating depths along with him From the vibrant colors to the intimate moments, become the inspiration in this story of one man's journey to freeze-frame the heart of a city. The compositions of Branden's pictures often accentuate the isolation of his subjects, who are often alone, metaphorically and literally, despite the city's bustle. The structure of buildings, their interaction with people, other structures, and most importantly, the play of light and shadow at different times of the day, are all studied by Branden. The Pictorial List invites you to experience Branden’s perspective on his approach to photography and peruse through his collection of photographs captured on the streets of Atlanta. “My father once said that walking down the street can teach you quite a bit, and photography is no exception. Being raised in Atlanta has also played a significant role in my passion for photography.” IN CONVERSATION WITH BRANDEN MAY THE PICTORIAL LIST: Hello Branden…welcome to The List! Let's start by telling us something about yourself. BRANDEN MAY: Hi there, thank you! My name is Branden, and I’m happy to be here! I'm a photographer from Atlanta, Georgia and a husband and dad. My passion for photography extends from portraits to product photography, but I'm particularly drawn to the beauty of street and architecture photography. TPL: What would you say first drew you to photography? What is it about this medium that you still have a passion for today? How did you find street photography? BM: Freezing a moment in time has always captivated me, no matter how big or small. Each captured moment is unique and personal. This still drives me today. My father once said that walking down the street can teach you quite a bit, and photography is no exception. Being raised in Atlanta has also played a significant role in my passion for photography. I'm captivated by how people interact with buildings, structures, and light and shadows. By combining these elements, I create scenes that reveal the hidden beauty of everyday city spaces. TPL: Could you tell us what living in Atlanta has inspired in your work? What special qualities unique to this city influence your street and the way you portray your community? BM: My photography style is unique, covering a broad range of subjects, but I have a particular passion for street and architecture genres. Through my lens, I explore the interplay between people, buildings, and their environment, using light and shadows to create compelling scenes. I learned to anticipate how sunlight and shadows play out across the city at different times of day. Witnessing the ever-changing interplay between light and shadow is a marvel that inspires my photography. By showcasing the understated beauty of ordinary city spaces, my work captures the essence of urban life in a way that is both unconventional and captivating. TPL: There are two techniques that are colloquially referred to as ‘hunting’ and ‘fishing’ in street photography. When you are out on the street taking pictures, are you a ‘hunter’ or a ‘fisher’, or is it a combination of the both? Please describe your process. BM: I believe I’m a mix of both styles. I wander from block to block, seeking out intriguing compositions, especially on rainy days. Sometimes, I wait patiently for the perfect subject to enter my frame, even if it means staying put for 45 minutes. This habit harks back to my Atlanta roots, where I would watch the sunlight change as I would sit in traffic with my parents. TPL: What is the most rewarding part of being a street photographer for you? What are some challenges that you have faced? BM: As a street photographer, the freedom to capture life as I see it is incredibly rewarding. I relish the chance to explore and experiment, taking risks and following my creative instincts. However, finding time to shoot amidst my work and family schedule can be challenging. When I do hit the streets, I make every moment count. Unfortunately, security guards can sometimes dampen my enthusiasm, sapping my joy for the craft. Nonetheless, the thrill of capturing raw, unfiltered moments keeps me coming back for more. TPL: Is it impossible for you not to be constantly on the lookout for a moment to be captured? BM: I find it difficult to turn off my photographer's eye. I'm constantly seeking fleeting moments to capture. My only obstacle is finding the time to frame and immortalize these visual gems. Witnessing the ever-changing interplay between light and shadow is a marvel that inspires my photography. TPL: How do you manage a work/photography balance? BM: Work takes a big chunk of my time, so scheduling time to shoot is the key. TPL: Do you have any favourite artists or photographers you would like to share with us, and the reason for their significance? BM: I have a few favorite photographers, but Gordon Parks holds a special place in my heart. His unparalleled talent for capturing a moment and weaving it into a nuanced, multi-layered story is truly remarkable. Additionally, the works of Saul Leiter, Berenice Abbott and Fan Ho have deeply impacted my style. Their masterful use of composition and shadow play has served as a wellspring of inspiration for my own photography. TPL: If you could just choose one photographer to shoot alongside for a day...who would you choose? And why? BM: That’s a tough question, but Fan Ho undoubtedly ranks high on the list. With his masterful play of shadows and backlighting, his techniques are legendary. Observing his creative process firsthand would be an unforgettable experience. TPL: What was the first camera you ever held in your hand, brought to eye, and released a shutter on? What is the camera you use now and your preferred focal length? Does the equipment you use help you in achieving your vision in your photography? Is there anything on your wishlist? BM: My photographic journey began with my mom's Kodak Ektralite 500 camera and my dad's Olympus OM-1. Today, I use a Nikon D750, but I'm always on the lookout for new gear to test out. The Nikon Z fc has caught my eye. I'm curious to see what all the fuss is about! Let me know if you have a connect 😉 TPL: Are there any special projects that you are currently working on that you would like to let everyone know about? What are some of your photography goals for the next 3-5 years? BM: My wife and I run rentaprint.co, a print rental service that offers high-quality, cleared fine art architecture prints to a range of industries including TV, film, and real estate. I'm currently working on my first photobook and participating in several upcoming group exhibitions. My goal is to have multiple solo exhibitions in the next few years and eventually get accepted into Magnum Photos. I’m excited to continue to work and grow as a photographic artist. TPL: “When I am not out photographing, I (like to)… BM: Spend time with my wife and kids, cycle and play golf.” The photography of Branden has allowed us to explore and appreciate Atlanta in a way we could never have imagined. His unique perspective has given us a glimpse into the beauty of this Southern city that is not often seen. We would like to thank Branden once again for his stunning work and invite our readers to take this opportunity to explore more of his home city through his website and social media. VIEW BRANDEN'S PORTFOLIO Branden's website >>> Branden's instagram >>> facebook >>> vero >>> read more interviews >>> GUIDED BY A WHISPER Guided by reflection and the quiet presence of art history, Isolda Fabregat Sanz makes photographs that resist certainty and invite the viewer to remain inside the act of looking. WHAT REMAINS, WHAT EMERGES Laetitia Heisler transforms risk, memory, and the body into layered analogue visions — feminist rituals of seeing that reveal what endures, and what quietly emerges beyond visibility. WHAT WE ARE, WHAT WE DO Culture lives where art and community meet, and in this space Alejandro Dávila’s photographs reveal the unseen labor and devotion that sustain creation. ANALOGICAL LIMBO Nicola Cappellari reminds us that the photograph’s power lies not in what it shows, but in what it leaves unsaid. THREADS OF MOROCCAN LIFE Through gestures of work and moments of community, Kat Puchowska reveals Morocco’s overlooked beauty. IT STARTED AS LIGHT…ENDED IN SHIVERS… Between intimacy and estrangement, Anton Bou’s photographs wander — restless fragments of light and shadow, mapping the fragile terrain where self unravels into sensation. WITH EYES THAT LISTEN AND A HEART THAT SEES For decades, Rivka Shifman Katvan has documented the unseen backstage world of Broadway, capturing authenticity where performance and humanity intersect. DIPTYCH DIALOGUES Through the beautiful language of diptychs, Taiwanese photographer Jay Hsu invites us into a world where quiet images speak of memory, resilience, and hope. UNKNOWN ABYSSINIA In Ethiopia, Sebastian Piatek found a new way of seeing — where architecture endures, but women in motion carry the narrative forward. THE PULSE OF THE STREET Moments vanish, yet Suvam Saha holds them still — the pulse of India’s streets captured in fragments of life that will never repeat. WHAT DO WE WANT? More than documentation, David Gray reveals the human pulse of resistance and asks us to see beyond the surface of unrest. CRACKED RIBS 2016 Cynthia Karalla opens up about the art of survival, the power of perspective, and why she believes each of us holds a monopoly on our own narrative. STREETS OF KOLKATA Ayanava Sil’s reveals Kolkata’s soul, capturing moments with empathy, presence and humility while offering deep insight into both city and self. PERIPHERAL PLACES A project by Catia Montagna that distills fleeting encounters and spatial poetics into triptychs - visual short stories that capture the in-between, where meaning often hides. POINTE-AU-CHIEN IS NOT DEAD Through Wayan Barre’s documentary, we are invited not only to see but to feel the lived realities of a community standing at the crossroads of environmental collapse and cultural survival. QUEER HAPPENED HERE Author Marc Zinaman sheds light on the valuable contributions that LGBTQ+ individuals have made to the cultural and social fabric of New York City. TRACES OF TIME Marked by an ongoing visual dialogue with time, memory, and impermanence, Zamin Jafarov’s long-term projects highlight the quiet power of observation and the emotional depth of simplicity. THERE MY LITTLE EYES Guillermo Franco’s book is an exploration of seeing beyond the obvious. His work invites us to embrace patience, curiosity, and the unexpected in a world that often rushes past the details. VISUAL HEALING BEYOND THE DIAGNOSIS Betty Goh’s photography exemplifies the transformative power of visual storytelling, where personal adversity becomes a canvas for resilience, illuminating the connection between art, healing, and self-reclamation. EVERYDAY BLACKNESS Parvathi Kumar’s book is a profound tribute to the resilience, and contributions of incredible Black women from all walks of life, making it a vital addition to the conversation around International Women’s Month. A VOYAGE TO DISCOVERY Fanja Hubers’ journey in photography is one of continuous exploration, balancing documentation with artistic self-reflection. MARCH FORWARD Through photography, Suzanne Phoenix creates a space for representation, recognition, and resistance — ensuring that the voices of women and gender-diverse people are seen, heard, and celebrated. FLUX: Exploring Form, Luminescence, and Motion Amy Newton-McConnel embraces unpredictability, finding structure within chaos and allowing light to guide the composition. AN ODE TO SPONTANEITY AND SERENDIPITY Meera Nerurkar captures not just what is seen but also what is felt, turning the everyday into something worth a second glance. THAT’S HOW IT IS Luisa Montagna explores the fluid nature of reality - how it shifts depending on the observer, emphasizing that subjective perception takes precedence over objective truth.

WHAT LIES BENEATH Working in his family's mask-making atelier, a curiosity developed within Bastian Peter, surrounding what lies beneath someone's facade. WHAT LIES BENEATH March 10, 2021 INTERVIEW PHOTOGRAPHY Bastian Peter INTERVIEW Melanie Meggs Facebook X (Twitter) WhatsApp LinkedIn Pinterest Copy link SHARE With an eye for creativity and a passion for storytelling, Bastian Peter is a street photographer based in Basel, Switzerland. Born and raised in the city, Bastian has been fascinated by the idea of uncovering the hidden stories behind the people and places he encounters. Growing up within his family's mask-making atelier, Bastian developed an early curiosity for understanding what lies beneath someone's façade. After picking up a camera for the first time and venturing out into the streets of Basel, Bastian’s passion for photography began to take off. He was intrigued by the potential of composition, colour and perspective to convey emotion and tell stories. Bastian is the co-founder of The Swiss Street Collective, an exclusive group of photographers who capture the visual identity of Switzerland. Bastian continues to be inspired by his hometown of Basel and strives to explore a different side to its unique culture through his work. His aim is to create images that evoke emotion, allowing viewers to get a glimpse into the lives of those he photographs in order to discover the hidden stories behind them. By tastefully combining colour, perspective and light, he succeeds in uncovering the beauty of everyday life. “I have always been interested in photography. It's just that I never pursued it the way I have in recent years. I never had the confidence to do it. My mother was a professional photographer and I vividly remember her studio, the darkroom and the smell of freshly developed film and the chemicals needed for the process. She and my father were always involved in art and photography and so it was always a part of my own life growing up. My personal interest was piqued when I got my first Sony point and shoot camera in the mid 90's. My interest came and went and in the last few years I got into street photography without knowing it was a real genre. Since the beginning of 2019, I've been shooting regularly on the streets and loving it. It has become a big part of my life.” IN CONVERSATION WITH BASTIAN PETER THE PICTORIAL LIST: Bastian, where do you find your inspiration to photograph? BASTIAN PETER: Great question. My inspiration comes from many places, to be honest. First of all, there is my childhood and like everyone, I have dreams and subtle memories. Often feelings as well. Emotions associated with places, sounds, images or even the smell of a place. All of this is connected to nostalgia and a kind of brooding sense of stories and romance. It sounds a bit pretentious and pompous, but that's because it's hard to find the right words. It's very abstract. Another answer to this question is cinema. Ever since I can remember, I've always been a fan of cinema. In my country, we don't have the rich and diverse and old film culture as in other countries, so maybe I've always been fascinated by foreign cinema like French or German cinema, from which I'm still trying to learn visual storytelling. TPL: Do you have a favourite quote, lyric or saying that especially resonates with you? BP: Of course I know a lot of quotes or sayings of a number of legendary photographers. And like I think they all are true and have their place, I think it's also true to find your own inspiration and your own way. Don't get me wrong, I love reading about all those great photographers and I own a number of their books of course. A quote I read a few weeks ago, did stick with me. I never heard it before and it was by Alfred Stieglitz. It goes like this: “In photography there is a reality so subtle that it becomes more real than reality.” TPL: Your photography has this beautiful abstract narrative about it...full of light, colours and textures. What do you want to express through your photography? And what are some of the elements you always try to include in your photographs? BP: That's a very interesting question. First of all, thank you so much, your compliment means a lot to me. I really mean it. I experienced a lot of days and nights, where I really tried to focus on certain elements like texture, color or a certain scenery. Or where I tried to stake out a certain place and really was planning to work on a specific corner and wait - however long it takes - so that I have that one background to a scene that I like. But it never worked out. I am not the guy for that I think. I have absolutely no patience to wait somewhere. I learned that I am most comfortable in walking around. Sure, I can stay on a corner for a few minutes just to get a feel of it, but never long and I never am able to plan something. It just happens. Sometimes I don't even think the shots on a certain scene are working and when I get home I am surprised that it did work. The same happens in reverse. Sometimes I get really excited because I feel like I've taken a good picture. And then when I'm at home on the laptop, I realise that it's totally meaningless and boring, or that it just doesn't work. But what I can say is that I'm totally into storytelling and atmosphere. And I try to use everything available. Be it textures of different surfaces, natural elements like rain, light or the time of day. Colour also plays a role, of course, but I look more at what I don't want to have in the picture. There are some hues that I try to avoid. But even there I have no rules. TPL: What is it that you enjoy about street photography. What happens when you walk the streets with your camera? Explain your technique? Have you ever had a negative encounter? BP: I've become quite introverted over the last few years. So when I walk the streets with my camera, it's a great feeling of freedom. It's a completely different look at the streets, the people, and maybe society itself. At least while I'm taking pictures. In Switzerland, street photography is not really a thing yet. At least not in the sense that it is for me and for you. I haven't had any really negative encounters. There was once a security guard who walked up to me and gruffly asked me not to take a picture of any of the buildings I walked past. That still makes me laugh because first, he had no right to ask that and second, he totally pointed out this particular building that I personally didn't even notice. I never did figure out what was special about it or why he didn't want me to photograph it. Maybe he was just bored. Then a few people asked me what I was doing with my camera. I tried to explain, but there's pretty much no understanding of street photography. And when I mention that I'm a street photographer, they look confused and don't know what I'm talking about. Often employees or store owners leave their building to see if I am doing anything illegal. Obviously, I look suspicious. It makes me smile in the moment, but in the past it has often lowered my confidence or killed my mood. I'm trying to work on it and prepare myself. So I made business cards with my website address on them so suspicious people can see for themselves. Waving your smartphone around and showing people your social media doesn't always work out so well. But I haven't had any really bad encounters yet. Fortunately. TPL: What is it like photographing on the streets of Switzerland? Why do you think street photography in Switzerland is not viewed as an art form? BP: It is mostly peaceful. Of course, that also depends on the photographer. If I were to send angry signals to people, for example, that would change, of course. But if I'm not in the mood, I'm not on the street to shoot. People are mostly busy with their schedule. They're in their own head, obviously thinking about their day and their own stuff. It's the unusual perspectives or the unusual places that often get the attention. When I started doing this, and it wasn't too long ago, I didn't know street photography as a genre. And when I started sharing my photos on social media, I was so surprised how big the "online scene" is and how many people are there taking photos on the streets. It was so great and motivating to learn that I'm not alone. After a while I met other people online from my country, even from my city, and most of them - like me - had no idea that they are not alone in this. Find your own inspiration and your own way. TPL: Do you have any favourite artists or photographers you would like to share with us, and the reason for their significance? BP: I love French cinema. Filmmakers like Godard or Melville, but also American cinema and Asian cinema. Wong Kar-Wai, Kim Ki-Duk, Sergio Leone, Takeshi Kitano or Nicolas Winding Refn. The list is endless. Also in terms of photographers, Vivian Maier, Saul Leiter, Robert Frank and Nan Goldin, for example. TPL: Does the equipment you use help you in achieving your vision in your photography? What camera do you use? Do you have a preferred lens/focal length? BP: I mostly use a 50mm prime lens, but I try to use also a zoom lens and a 35mm lens. I own two Sony alpha cameras. The reason I chose them was my budget. It isn't high. The two cameras I own are not very new and therefore not very expensive. So are the lenses. They are small and for me very intuitive to use. I don't have time to change the settings that much. Especially at night every corner in the city has different lighting and I screw up my settings on a regular basis. I try to learn that it isn't that important. But it is a process. We see so much flawless stuff on social media. We have to try ignore that and don't let it pressure us. TPL: When you go out photographing, do you have a concept in mind of what you want to shoot, or do you let the images just "come to you", or is it both? BP: I had that in the past. But it never worked out. Since then, I just try to see what comes my way. That's something about street photography that is very exciting and special. Spontaneity on my part and of course the natural course of the streets and the people. TPL: You have a family business that has been creating masks for The Carnival of Basal. Could you tell us more about this family tradition and how the pandemic has affected the business and you personally? BP: In Basel, in my city, the Carnival, here called Fasnacht, is very important. It is one of the things that has always accompanied us. It is very important for our morale and also for the economy and tourism. Our atelier, the Larven Atelier Charivari in Basel City, has been around since 1976 and we have been making masks by hand since then, in accordance with tradition and traditional methods. There is still a part of the Basel population that prefers these methods to plastic. Our customers visit us every year to commission new masks or to have older ones repaired. Now that the Carnival of Basel 2020 has been cancelled, they are of course sitting on unused masks and have no reason to order new ones. It gets worse now that the 2021 Carnival has also been cancelled. But I don't give up hope and we try to keep our heads above water as long as we can. Personally, all this worries me a lot and causes headaches, fears for the future and sleepless nights. But it also allowed and forced me to focus more on photography. TPL: What are some of your goals as an artist? Where do you see yourself or hope to see yourself in five years? You mentioned that you are one of the founding members of The Swiss Street Collective. Talk to us about this project, how it came about and what are the collective's goals? Are there any other special projects you are currently working on that you would like to let everyone know about? BP: I am looking forward to the new year, among other things, because a gallerist from Basel let me know that he is interested in exhibiting my work. Yes, the Swiss Street Collective is the first Swiss collective for street photography. We got together last year and planned the project since summer 2020. It started with sharing experiences and chatting about our work. Mutual exchange of opinions and criticisms. We soon realised that our small group, as individual as we are, had very similar experiences on the streets. And we all realized that we were not the only ones. Of course we found each other, but also there were other street photographers from or in Switzerland. Most of us are rather private people and our opinions and views are sometimes very different. This presented us with some difficult decisions. But I am very happy to say that we all pull together and try to do our part to establish street photography as an art form in Switzerland. We want to shine light on it and show its artists, as well as simply show our work. We are working on different things like creating a directory where Swiss Street photographers can register. We are open to all kinds of projects and look forward to the future. We are also open to accept new members. There is a lot to do and we can use all the help we can get. Therefore I am very grateful to be able to introduce and explain the collective here. TPL: When I am not out photographing, I (like to)... BP: Spend time with my family. Thank you so much for this interview and the opportunity. I feel very honored and I am so glad I could talk to you. Through his craft, Bastian Peter is able to uncover the hidden stories behind the surface, providing an exciting glimpse into the world from his unique perspective. If you're interested in learning more about Bastian and his work, be sure to connect with him through the links below. Don’t miss out on the opportunity to explore Basel and its secrets through Bastian's lens. VIEW BASTIAN'S PORTFOLIO Bastian's website >>> Instagram >>> Swiss Street Collective >>> read more interviews >>> GUIDED BY A WHISPER Guided by reflection and the quiet presence of art history, Isolda Fabregat Sanz makes photographs that resist certainty and invite the viewer to remain inside the act of looking. WHAT REMAINS, WHAT EMERGES Laetitia Heisler transforms risk, memory, and the body into layered analogue visions — feminist rituals of seeing that reveal what endures, and what quietly emerges beyond visibility. WHAT WE ARE, WHAT WE DO Culture lives where art and community meet, and in this space Alejandro Dávila’s photographs reveal the unseen labor and devotion that sustain creation. ANALOGICAL LIMBO Nicola Cappellari reminds us that the photograph’s power lies not in what it shows, but in what it leaves unsaid. THREADS OF MOROCCAN LIFE Through gestures of work and moments of community, Kat Puchowska reveals Morocco’s overlooked beauty. IT STARTED AS LIGHT…ENDED IN SHIVERS… Between intimacy and estrangement, Anton Bou’s photographs wander — restless fragments of light and shadow, mapping the fragile terrain where self unravels into sensation. WITH EYES THAT LISTEN AND A HEART THAT SEES For decades, Rivka Shifman Katvan has documented the unseen backstage world of Broadway, capturing authenticity where performance and humanity intersect. DIPTYCH DIALOGUES Through the beautiful language of diptychs, Taiwanese photographer Jay Hsu invites us into a world where quiet images speak of memory, resilience, and hope. UNKNOWN ABYSSINIA In Ethiopia, Sebastian Piatek found a new way of seeing — where architecture endures, but women in motion carry the narrative forward. THE PULSE OF THE STREET Moments vanish, yet Suvam Saha holds them still — the pulse of India’s streets captured in fragments of life that will never repeat. WHAT DO WE WANT? More than documentation, David Gray reveals the human pulse of resistance and asks us to see beyond the surface of unrest. CRACKED RIBS 2016 Cynthia Karalla opens up about the art of survival, the power of perspective, and why she believes each of us holds a monopoly on our own narrative. STREETS OF KOLKATA Ayanava Sil’s reveals Kolkata’s soul, capturing moments with empathy, presence and humility while offering deep insight into both city and self. PERIPHERAL PLACES A project by Catia Montagna that distills fleeting encounters and spatial poetics into triptychs - visual short stories that capture the in-between, where meaning often hides. POINTE-AU-CHIEN IS NOT DEAD Through Wayan Barre’s documentary, we are invited not only to see but to feel the lived realities of a community standing at the crossroads of environmental collapse and cultural survival. QUEER HAPPENED HERE Author Marc Zinaman sheds light on the valuable contributions that LGBTQ+ individuals have made to the cultural and social fabric of New York City. TRACES OF TIME Marked by an ongoing visual dialogue with time, memory, and impermanence, Zamin Jafarov’s long-term projects highlight the quiet power of observation and the emotional depth of simplicity. THERE MY LITTLE EYES Guillermo Franco’s book is an exploration of seeing beyond the obvious. His work invites us to embrace patience, curiosity, and the unexpected in a world that often rushes past the details. VISUAL HEALING BEYOND THE DIAGNOSIS Betty Goh’s photography exemplifies the transformative power of visual storytelling, where personal adversity becomes a canvas for resilience, illuminating the connection between art, healing, and self-reclamation. EVERYDAY BLACKNESS Parvathi Kumar’s book is a profound tribute to the resilience, and contributions of incredible Black women from all walks of life, making it a vital addition to the conversation around International Women’s Month. A VOYAGE TO DISCOVERY Fanja Hubers’ journey in photography is one of continuous exploration, balancing documentation with artistic self-reflection. MARCH FORWARD Through photography, Suzanne Phoenix creates a space for representation, recognition, and resistance — ensuring that the voices of women and gender-diverse people are seen, heard, and celebrated. FLUX: Exploring Form, Luminescence, and Motion Amy Newton-McConnel embraces unpredictability, finding structure within chaos and allowing light to guide the composition. AN ODE TO SPONTANEITY AND SERENDIPITY Meera Nerurkar captures not just what is seen but also what is felt, turning the everyday into something worth a second glance. THAT’S HOW IT IS Luisa Montagna explores the fluid nature of reality - how it shifts depending on the observer, emphasizing that subjective perception takes precedence over objective truth.

PICTORIAL STORY CRACKS TO MEND “Do we ever leave childhood homes? Never: they always remain inside us. Even when they no longer exist.” - Ferzan Özpetek August 9, 2023 PICTORIAL STORY photography IDA DI PASQUALE story IDA DI PASQUALE introduction MELANIE MEGGS SHARE Facebook X (Twitter) WhatsApp LinkedIn Pinterest Copy link Photography is more than just a way to capture a moment; it’s an art form that can tell a story. As a lover of photography and the visual arts, Ida Di Pasquale uses her camera to tell a story that goes beyond the physical world. Through her work, she attempts to capture emotion and mood, rather than relying on rational thought. From her analogue beginnings to her more recent experiments with film soup and cyanotype, Ida has explored a wide range of photographic techniques. She’s drawn inspiration from renowned photographers, seeking to convey emotion in her own work. Yet, her most personal project is one that comes from the heart. Titled Cracks to Mend , it tells the story of Ida's birth house in Faiano, a small village in Abruzzo, Italy. After two devastating earthquakes and numerous tremors, the home was left in rubble. Through her photographs, Ida was able to capture the memories that remained. Thus, Ida Di Pasquale has created a beautiful story of resilience amidst tragedy. Join us as we explore her captivating journey through photography and explore the emotions that are conveyed through her work. L'Aquila Earthquake, Italy. 6 April 2009. My father's house is badly damaged. We are in Faiano, a small village on the slopes of the Gran Sasso. About 24 families live here at the time of the earthquake. Evacuation order. Despite the ban, we only manage to enter the house for a moment. Quickly I take a few photos, concentrating on the details, the objects...they recall facts, people and situations, and times that I would like to stop forever...so as not to forget... Amatrice Earthquake, Italy, 2016. Another earthquake, in nearby Amatrice. Further tremors devastate our small town, now practically abandoned. Red zone. Absolute ban on entering the village. This is followed in 2018 by the demolition of most of the houses in the village, including mine. The tailors' house, my father Federico's and my grandfather Nicola's. We enter again, but only for a moment...like thieves in their own house we take away a few small mementos and a few more photographs... Now only rubble remains to be carried away. Only memories and cracks, cracks in the heart. ... Enough An object A glance A flower in need of care A door ajar The screaming sea A crack in the wall The sun going down Memories assail And we meet Again © Ida Di Pasquale © Ida Di Pasquale © Ida Di Pasquale © Ida Di Pasquale © Ida Di Pasquale © Ida Di Pasquale Ida Di Pasquale © Ida Di Pasquale © Ida Di Pasquale © Ida Di Pasquale © Ida Di Pasquale © Ida Di Pasquale © Ida Di Pasquale © Ida Di Pasquale © Ida Di Pasquale © Ida Di Pasquale © Ida Di Pasquale Ida Di Pasquale’s work is a powerful reminder of how photography can be used to tell stories that go beyond the physical. Through her art, she is able to explore the overwhelming emotions that come with tragedy and loss, while also conveying resilience and hope. It is a reminder of the strength that comes from remembering and cherishing the memories of the past. Ida’s work is captivating and heart-wrenching, and we recommend that you view more of it. By doing so, you will gain an insight into the emotional journey of someone who has experienced significant loss but continues to find hope and strength in the stories of her family. view Ida's portfolio Website >>> Instagram >>> Facebook >>> The views, thoughts, and opinions expressed in the text belong solely to the author/s, and are not necessarily shared by The Pictorial List and the team. read more stories >>> SILVER AND BREATH Within this fragile space between looking and being seen, Eva Christina Nielsen has developed a practice that is both restrained and deeply attentive. RUPTURE REPAIR REMNANT In this reflection on rupture, Donna Bassin invites us to consider how grief settles into the body and the image, and how the slow work of witnessing becomes a form of repair. DELTA DUSK John Agather weaves image and text into a single current, tracing how music, memory, and daily life continue to move through the Mississippi Delta. SILENT BEAUTY Tamara Quadrelli photographs the world by slowing down inside it. There is no rush to explain what we are seeing. The pleasure comes from staying with it. SOLITUDE UNDER A TECHNIFIED SUN Tracing the space between movement and stillness, Héctor Morón reveals a city that persists as human presence slips by. 4320 MINUTES WITHOUT COLOR Moving between photography and narration, Mohammed Nahi traces a period in which sight could no longer be assumed as reliable, and attention shifted toward memory and duration. THE PAINTED VILLAGE OF LABANDHAR Anjan Ghosh’s photographs carry us to Labandhar, where painting becomes language, tradition stays present, and art grows through shared ground. ORDINARY GRIEF What endures when everything else is uncertain? Through photography, Parisa Azadi asks us to see Iran not as story, but as feeling. THE EVERYMAN Eva Mallis uncovers the quiet strength of overlooked lives, capturing everyday encounters in Mumbai’s industrial districts as intimate portraits of labor and resilience. IN BETWEEN LIFE AND AFTER In Cairo’s City of the Dead, families carve out ordinary lives among centuries of tombs — Paola Ferrarotti traces the fragile line between memory and survival. UNFIGURED Nasos Karabelas transforms the human body into a site of emotional flux — where perception fractures and inner states become visible form. VISIONS OF ICELAND FROM ABOVE Massimo Lupidi takes flight above Iceland — capturing nature’s abstract brushstrokes where land, water, and sky blur into poetic visions beyond the ordinary eye. UNDER THE CLOUDS Giordano Simoncini presents a visual ethnography of the interconnectedness of indigenous cosmology, material life, and the ecological balance within the Quechua communities of the Peruvian Andes. NYC SUBWAY RIDERS BEFORE THE INVASION OF SMARTPHONES Hiroyuki Ito’s subway photographs reveal a vanished intimacy — strangers lost in thought in a world before digital distractions took hold. THE GHOST SELF Buku Sarkar stages her refusal to vanish. Her photographs are unflinching, lyrical acts of documentation, mapping a body in flux and a mind grappling with the epistemic dissonance of chronic illness. WHISPERS On Mother’s Day, Regina Melo's story asks us to pause. To remember. To feel. It honors the profound, often quiet sacrifices that mothers make, and the invisible threads that bind us to them. BEYOND THE MASK By stepping beyond the scripted world of professional wrestling and into the raw terrain of mental health, Matteo Bergami and Fabio Giarratano challenge long-held myths about masculinity, endurance, and heroism. FRAGMENTS OF TIME Each of jfk's diptychs functions as a microcosm of the city, allowing viewers to experience urban life as constant fragmented glimpses, mirroring the unpredictable nature of human interactions. VANISHING VENICE Lorenzo Vitali’s portrayal of Venice is an almost surreal experience — where time dissolves, and the viewer is left with the sensation of stepping into a dreamscape. CLAY AND ASHES Abdulla Shinose CK explores the challenges faced by Kumhar Gram's potters, balancing tradition and adaptation in the face of modern pressures. ISLAND Enzo Crispino’s photographic series, “Nêsos,” invites viewers into an introspective journey that mirrors the artist’s rediscovery of his voice in photography after a prolonged period of creative estrangement. BEYOND THE BRICKS Amid Bangladesh’s dynamic urban growth, Anwar Ehtesham’s photography takes us beyond statistics and headlines, revealing the hidden lives of the laborers working tirelessly in the nation’s brick kilns. OAXACA In Oaxaca, Tommaso Stefanori captures Día de los Muertos, exploring the convergence of life and death, human connections, and enduring cultural rituals through evocative photographs of tradition and emotion. BEHIND THE PLANTS Wayan Barre documents Cancer Alley residents facing pollution and economic challenges, shedding light on their resilience and the impacts of environmental injustice. THE RED POPPY AND THE SUN By blending archival and contemporary images, Mei Seva creates a visual story that captures the ongoing struggles and moments of triumph for those impacted by displacement and circumstance.

STREET HEARTBEAT Passionate Azerbaijan street photographer Joshgun Suleymanov feels if he doesn't take photos it is as if his heart does not work. STREET HEARTBEAT August 9, 2021 INTERVIEW PHOTOGRAPHY Joshgun Suleymanov INTERVIEW Melanie Meggs Facebook X (Twitter) WhatsApp LinkedIn Pinterest Copy link SHARE Joshgun Suleymanov is a street photographer from Western Azerbaijan who has been walking the streets and capturing unique moments for the past ten years. Through his projects such as 'The Darkness Inside Me', 'Retro Baku' and 'Joshgun Street', he has managed to showcase his work in Argentine Spanish and is now preparing for even more amazing publications. Joshgun is also a member of the Azerbaijan Photographers Union and his passion for street photography has enabled him to create stunning images. With each photograph, Joshgun captures moments that are both beautiful and deeply meaningful, as if he was able to freeze time itself. His pictures tell stories, revealing something unique about the places he visits. His work is not only visually stunning, but also emotionally evocative, providing viewers with an insight into the beauty and darkness of the world around us. “The perfect scene for me is the one I look forward to the most and feel that moment will happen. I am inspired by a lot of things...it can be in a song or a movie sometimes it plays a role in my mood or some of my worries.” IN CONVERSATION WITH JOSHGUN SULEYMANOV THE PICTORIAL LIST: Joshgun, when you take pictures, do you usually have a concept in mind of what you want to shoot, or do you let the images just "come to you", or is it both? Describe your process. JOSHGUN SULEYMANOV: I think the concept is very important...then you will always have development. Such as looking for an abstract scene on the street and then waiting for the right person to enter the scene. TPL: What were the difficulties you encountered when you first started out in street photography? JS: When I first turned to this genre, I didn't have much experience. I had a large camera and the bulky bag to carry it in...it was torture! And learning to overcome angry glances from people after I took their photo. TPL: Do you have any favourite artists and photographers? JS: Artists such as Salvador Dali and Pablo Picasso. Photographers such as Henri Cartier-Bresson, Matt Stuart, Alex Webb, Vivian Maier and Fan Ho. TPL: What are your thoughts and feelings about shooting individually with company when out on the streets? JS: I rather shoot alone. The reason is because I am a heavy hunter on the street and distractions can ruin a unique shot. When I don't take photos, it's as if my heart doesn't work...my eyes can't see..my life is very ordinary. TPL: Talk to us about your equipment you use. Do you have a favourite focal length that you use? JS: I am very pleased with the equipment I use at the moment. I use the Fujifilm X100s camera with its fixed 23mm f2.8 lens. It's a retro looking compact camera that is almost always with me. Sometimes I also use the Canon 6D with 24mm, 70mm f2.8 lenses. Using zone focus makes my work almost comfortable. TPL: What are some of your goals as an artists or photographer? Where do you hope to see yourself in five years? JS: To have at least three exhibitions in the state big museum and a small book to print. Five years later, to find myself in a similar agency. TPL: Can you talk to us about your series of images of found objects on the beach? What are you communicating to your viewer? JS: I try to go to the beaches every year when there are no special conditions...and a feeling almost makes me come there sometimes toys or a toy hanging from a polluted sea takes me away...and makes me pull them...I think people need to know the value of this temporary world given and given to them. They have to give up plastic waste...they have to leave a clean world for the future. TPL: Are there any special projects you are currently working on that you would like to let everyone know about? JS: I currently have a project and this project is both art and photography using a mixed technique. TPL: When I am not out photographing, I (like to)… JS: When I don't take photos, it's as if my heart doesn't work...my eyes can't see..my life is very ordinary. Joshgun Suleymanov is a passionate street photographer whose work has the ability to captivate and transport viewers. His work is a testament to his passion for capturing unique moments and conveying powerful stories through his photographs. It is clear that Joshgun has a great talent for photography and anyone interested in this art form should definitely check out his projects. To learn more about Joshgun and his work, we encourage readers to join him on his upcoming projects and take part in the wonderful journey that photography can bring. VIEW JOSHGUN'S PORTFOLIO Instagram >>> read more interviews >>> GUIDED BY A WHISPER Guided by reflection and the quiet presence of art history, Isolda Fabregat Sanz makes photographs that resist certainty and invite the viewer to remain inside the act of looking. WHAT REMAINS, WHAT EMERGES Laetitia Heisler transforms risk, memory, and the body into layered analogue visions — feminist rituals of seeing that reveal what endures, and what quietly emerges beyond visibility. WHAT WE ARE, WHAT WE DO Culture lives where art and community meet, and in this space Alejandro Dávila’s photographs reveal the unseen labor and devotion that sustain creation. ANALOGICAL LIMBO Nicola Cappellari reminds us that the photograph’s power lies not in what it shows, but in what it leaves unsaid. THREADS OF MOROCCAN LIFE Through gestures of work and moments of community, Kat Puchowska reveals Morocco’s overlooked beauty. IT STARTED AS LIGHT…ENDED IN SHIVERS… Between intimacy and estrangement, Anton Bou’s photographs wander — restless fragments of light and shadow, mapping the fragile terrain where self unravels into sensation. WITH EYES THAT LISTEN AND A HEART THAT SEES For decades, Rivka Shifman Katvan has documented the unseen backstage world of Broadway, capturing authenticity where performance and humanity intersect. DIPTYCH DIALOGUES Through the beautiful language of diptychs, Taiwanese photographer Jay Hsu invites us into a world where quiet images speak of memory, resilience, and hope. UNKNOWN ABYSSINIA In Ethiopia, Sebastian Piatek found a new way of seeing — where architecture endures, but women in motion carry the narrative forward. THE PULSE OF THE STREET Moments vanish, yet Suvam Saha holds them still — the pulse of India’s streets captured in fragments of life that will never repeat. WHAT DO WE WANT? More than documentation, David Gray reveals the human pulse of resistance and asks us to see beyond the surface of unrest. CRACKED RIBS 2016 Cynthia Karalla opens up about the art of survival, the power of perspective, and why she believes each of us holds a monopoly on our own narrative. STREETS OF KOLKATA Ayanava Sil’s reveals Kolkata’s soul, capturing moments with empathy, presence and humility while offering deep insight into both city and self. PERIPHERAL PLACES A project by Catia Montagna that distills fleeting encounters and spatial poetics into triptychs - visual short stories that capture the in-between, where meaning often hides. POINTE-AU-CHIEN IS NOT DEAD Through Wayan Barre’s documentary, we are invited not only to see but to feel the lived realities of a community standing at the crossroads of environmental collapse and cultural survival. QUEER HAPPENED HERE Author Marc Zinaman sheds light on the valuable contributions that LGBTQ+ individuals have made to the cultural and social fabric of New York City. TRACES OF TIME Marked by an ongoing visual dialogue with time, memory, and impermanence, Zamin Jafarov’s long-term projects highlight the quiet power of observation and the emotional depth of simplicity. THERE MY LITTLE EYES Guillermo Franco’s book is an exploration of seeing beyond the obvious. His work invites us to embrace patience, curiosity, and the unexpected in a world that often rushes past the details. VISUAL HEALING BEYOND THE DIAGNOSIS Betty Goh’s photography exemplifies the transformative power of visual storytelling, where personal adversity becomes a canvas for resilience, illuminating the connection between art, healing, and self-reclamation. EVERYDAY BLACKNESS Parvathi Kumar’s book is a profound tribute to the resilience, and contributions of incredible Black women from all walks of life, making it a vital addition to the conversation around International Women’s Month. A VOYAGE TO DISCOVERY Fanja Hubers’ journey in photography is one of continuous exploration, balancing documentation with artistic self-reflection. MARCH FORWARD Through photography, Suzanne Phoenix creates a space for representation, recognition, and resistance — ensuring that the voices of women and gender-diverse people are seen, heard, and celebrated. FLUX: Exploring Form, Luminescence, and Motion Amy Newton-McConnel embraces unpredictability, finding structure within chaos and allowing light to guide the composition. AN ODE TO SPONTANEITY AND SERENDIPITY Meera Nerurkar captures not just what is seen but also what is felt, turning the everyday into something worth a second glance. THAT’S HOW IT IS Luisa Montagna explores the fluid nature of reality - how it shifts depending on the observer, emphasizing that subjective perception takes precedence over objective truth.